An Unwanted Bond
by Unrivaled Mind
Summary: Because of their parents they have been at war for years. With a new threat on the rise two enemies will have to come together in a bond stronger than just allegiance. Can Arya and Eragon join together and save their land from the threat Galbatorix poses? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hey so first things first. I'm Unparralleledthinking. Yes, I know a lot of you are probably pissed off at me and I just want you to go and read my profile on my old account because I explain everything that happened. After you do that, feel free to PM me and yell at me for taking down my stories (Not by choice). I hope you can forgive me and enjoy this new story that I've started.**

**So this idea is based off RLD Flame-point Callie-co's Merlin story, 'The Sorcerer's Bride.' Thanks and props to your awesome story. And since some or most of you do not know that story, this is basically an AU set in the same time as the series but things are very different. Same characters, very different plot. This is a test chapter. A prologue of sorts. Depending on your reactions, I will stop or continue. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Paolini.**

He watched the beautiful woman just a few strides away and his heart skipped a beat. Despite not knowing her, barely having spoken to her, he was awestruck. Raven hair flowed in waves past her shoulders. Her face was porcelain, and looked as soft as silk. Her cheekbones were sharp and fit her perfectly. But of all her beauty, what took his breath away were her eyes. Pure emerald. They were like nothing he'd ever encountered and he wanted to get lost in them. There was just one problem.

The coldness he was seeing in her now, the deep rooted disdain, was all pointed at him. The woman's body was tense, her slender and graceful form locked into a stance of pure rebellion. She'd been told to behave. She hadn't seemed to listen. As he watched her, her gaze suddenly shifted to him and he froze. Her already angry eyes narrowed and the fury of her stare urged him to look away. But he didn't. He couldn't.

Luckily so because he caught the movement of her lips and was able to throw up a weak counter as her spell hit him. It wasn't a forceful hit. No, it was a warning. He felt his throat constrict slightly as the spell took hold. He shifted, reaching a hand up to pull at the invisible bond closing off his airways. A smirk lit her features before he was released and she turned away, obviously pleased. He frowned and started toward her just as a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Eragon."

He winced and turned to his guardian's voice.

"Brom."

When he met the eyes of the rugged man he could see they were worried.

"Don't do something stupid."

Eragon crossed his arms.

"She did."

A smile spread across his mentor's face.

"It wasn't stupid on her part. She could whip you like a switch. You, on the other hand, would be pummeled if you tried to challenge her."

Eragon clenched his jaw.

"Thanks for the support."

"I'm only speaking the truth dear boy. You mustn't harass your bride to be with petty arguments. Take it like a man. Be the bigger person."

Eragon fought off the urge to disagree and shrugged, walking out of the dining hall and to the doors to the balcony. He looked ruefully out across the sea that spread below him and rested his arms on the railing. A voice next to him almost sent him over it.

"This will never happen."

Even with the barely controlled rage he could hear in her voice, it was still mind numbing. Eragon cleared his face, giving her a hard look.

"Sorry princess, it seems that it will."

A sharp laugh left the elf's throat.

"You think that my mother will allow this to go through? For me to marry the likes of you? Preposterous."

His calm mask faltered and then disappeared as he whirled on her, moving closer.

"You know, you could show a little respect, hell, maybe a little gratitude, considering I saved your life and all."

Her eyes flashed angrily.

"All _respect _I had for you left when you accepted this proposal. You fool, is this what you really want?"

Anger welled in him.

"Of course it isn't. I accepted this proposal because it was necessary to help my people. They are suffering and they just lost their king. I would hope that maybe you could see the reason behind my acceptance instead of acting as a child."

Arya moved closer so their faces were inches apart.

"Me? A child? Come now Eragon. Do you really see me as a child?

Her voice was haughty, her tone mocking. He laughed.

"No, how could I? You are most obviously a coward." He watched pleased as she shifted in anger. He continued. "What, Arya? Are you afraid of me? Do I frighten you?"

He could tell that got to her. Lips moving rapidly, she spoke words of the ancient language. Before she could finish he pressed his hand over her mouth, using the other to pull her against him.

"I don't think you should do that. Might not be good for people to see their new and coming queen tormenting their beloved prince."

She kept her steely gaze on his as he tried not to let show the affect she was having on him being so close. Slowly, he dropped his hand and she shoved him, setting a small distance between them.

"If you only knew the power I contain, you wouldn't be so loose with your words."

Eragon let a smirk grace his face and he leaned to whisper into her ear.

"Darling, if you were so powerful, how come it was _I _who rescued _you_?" Arya bristled and he continued. "And just so you know. If it were up to me, I would send you back to your trees to play with all your animals if I could. I do not want you here any more than you wish to be here so I suggest you deal with it and accept the ramifications of our parents' war. If you want to be mad at somebody, it should be your own mother."

With that he moved away and turned, walking inside to the hundreds of people filling his uncle's dining hall. Looking over he saw his cousin and sighed. Moving through the crowd he cleared his throat. Roran turned to him and Eragon crossed his arms.

"I really wish you would reconsider taking the throne. I don't exactly want it."

Roran laughed.

"I am not fit to be a king."

"How am I more fit than you?"

"Eragon, you are a dragon rider."

"How is that reason to be king?"

Roran rolled his eyes.

"It gives the people hope of a promised future. You will strike fear into enemy's hearts and defer them from raiding our villages and plundering our people. The power of persuasion is sometimes much more powerful than actions alone. Especially to a despairing kingdom. Anyone can create power for themselves. But only few can wield that power in a way fit to rule. And who better than one who has the counsel of a dragon?"

Sighing, Eragon motioned toward the elf who was just reentering the dining hall.

"And the counsel of an elf who wants nothing more than to kill me."

Roran put an arm around Eragon's shoulders.

"Brother, you can't know the heart of a woman until she speaks it herself. Just give her a chance."

Eragon snorted.

"She already has. It was in the way she tried to strangle me I think."

Roran chuckled.

"She tried to strangle you? When?"

Eragon smirked.

"Well it wasn't like deathly but she cut off my breathing for a number of seconds before releasing me. I figure that's as good of threat as any."

Smiling, his cousin patted his shoulder and excused himself. Eragon watched as he made his way to a smiling woman who embraced him happily. A pang of jealousy shot through him as he watched Roran hold Katrina in his arms. He wanted that. A love like that who would be happy to see him. Not one who'd insult him with every breath she took. Looking toward the window he saw that enough time had passed it would be acceptable to leave. Saphira was due back any moment and he needed to clear his head some before the council meeting tonight.

He made his way to the curved double doors engraved and detailed with silver and blue designs and was about to make his way through when a mind brushed his. A smile spread across his face as he welcomed Saphira's presence. He moved quickly through the spacious halls until he reached the back gate of the castle. Guards with the royal blue uniform and silver insignia that portrayed a prowling dragon moved to stop him until they saw who he was. Instead they dropped their heads momentarily before one stepped forward.

"Sir, will you be needing an escort?"

Eragon shook his head just as Saphira snorted.

"_Do they think they could protect you better than I?"_

Smiling Eragon reassured her before addressing his guard.

"Unless you have dragons then there really is no way for you to follow me anywhere."

The guard nodded and stepped back into position against the stone wall of the palace. Eragon looked toward the sky just as his beautiful companion spiraled toward the ground at an earth shattering pace. Just before impact Saphira threw out her wings and landed softly on the ground. A blast of wind hit him and he reveled in her strength before moving towards her.

"_Saphira!"_

His dragon responded with the same fondness.

"_Little one."_

"_How was your hunt?" _

Something like a chuckle escaped her.

"_Those animals had no chance against me. And neither would any attackers so you tell those two-leggers that I can protect you just fine."_

Eragon laughed.

"_Why don't you tell them yourself?"_

Saphira growled and then faced the men.

"_I will then."_

Eragon winced as some of his soldiers yelped and looked towards the dragon invading their minds. They nodded visibly and Saphira left them. Eragon apologized to them and turned back to Saphira smirking.

"_I wasn't being literal."_

Saphira lowered to the ground and Eragon jumped up onto her shoulders. Muscles coiled tightly before she took off with a powerful jump. She pounded her wings into the air until she was at a suitable hight. Eragon closed his eyes to the setting sun and tried to forget what he was going to be facing in the next months. In the next hours.

They arrived back at the palace just before the proposed time of the meeting and Eragon moved quickly to his room. Opening the door he closed it and went rapidly to his dresser. Pulling out the appropriate clothing he slid them on. Royal blue breeches with a silver tunic and a royal blue overtunic. There were intricate designs in sliver thread that patterned across his top. To finish it off he clasped a silver side cape to his shirt. He moved to his mirror and spent as much time as it had taken to get ready to fix his windblown hair. Saphira snorted at his efforts.

"_You could just remove it and then it wouldn't cause issue."_

Eragon frowned and straightened his outfit, smoothing out any wrinkles.

"_I'm not shaving my head, Saphira. How do I look?"_

He sent her the image of him in the mirror so she could see. He felt approval through their link but also a hint of annoyance.

"_Eragon, it would be much nicer if I had a window into your room. Being separated from you so often is quite annoying. "_

Eragon tried to reassure her.

"_Don't worry, I am preparing a new room with a wide enough space for you to enter. We didn't expect to have a dragon so the rooms weren't built accordingly."_

Saphira seemed to sigh.

"_You should also create a hole in the council room because I am going to be forced to perch on the balcony for it. I wont be able to threaten all who insult you. This will be no fun for me."_

Eragon laughed.

"_This is not something happening for your enjoyment. The rulers of Alagaesia are gathering to discuss the coming evil."_

"_So your future bride's mother is going to be here? Who else?"_

"_Her, Nasuada of the Varden, Orik of the Dwarves, and Orrin of Surda. This is going to be a very tense meeting. At some point each of these nations have been in a quarrel or an all out war. This peace treaty will be a very hard process to get through. In the end our alliance will be shaky at best."_

"_Are there any you can consider strong allies?"_

"_Well not to us necessarily. But the Varden, Surda, and the Dwarves are already allied. We were allied to them at one point but a stupid misunderstanding disrupted that peace. The elves have always been against everyone, thinking themselves superior to us humans and dwarves."_

"_Then why is Islanzadi allowing her daughter to marry one who is not an elf?"_

"_Because of the appearance of Galbatorix. He is the reason for the Garrow's death. He was in the process of visiting his surrounding villages when a group of Galbatorix's Urgals attacked his party. The same happened to Nasuada's father and Orik's king. He had kidnapped Islanzadi's daughter and that's where we saved her. I think that's also another reason for her acceptance of me. I saved her daughter and so apparently I have earned her respect."_

"_Too bad her daughter hates you now."_

"_Yeah. . . "_

He looked away from the mirror and left his room, walking quickly through the corridors to the heavy doors of the council area. He sucked in a breath and pushed the doors open. The gazes of over twenty people turned his direction. Some were calm and then others were blatantly judgmental and rude. Each ruler had brought advisors for this. He looked to Roran's encouraging face and forced back a sigh. This was going to suck. As he made his way to the seat next to Roran at the rounded table, Orrin cleared his throat.

"If you set a time, then shouldn't you be there then and not make your guests wait?"

It was a test. He smiled at the man a few seats to his left.

"My apologies. Of course you are correct. I was in discussion with Saphira and we lost track of time. It was not meant to offend."

Orrin's eyes narrowed before he nodded and settled back into his chair. Eragon turned to each of the rulers and bowed respectfully.

"I am sad that it has taken such drastic changes for this meeting to happen. But with the new evil coming upon our land it is time to unite. A separate nation is a weaker nation."

Again the person to speak was Orrin.

"You are just a boy of twenty. You're not even the heir to this throne. The only reason you are even at this table is because the king has died and his son refuses the throne. Would your land not be safer with a practiced ruler at its head?"

Eragon bristled and from Saphira he heard a growl and a not necessarily nice comment pointed at Orrin. A smile split his face before he could hide it. Orrin was outraged.

"Do you mock me, child?"

Being called a child sent anger coursing through him. He relaxed in spite of it and tilted his head at Orrin.

"No. My dragon was just commenting what she thought of you. I couldn't help but smile at her colorful words."

Orik barked a short laugh and Nasuada let a smile penetrate her stubborn features before they returned to their passive states. Even Islanzadi's lips twitched. He looked to Arya but found her expression just as cold as it always was. Orrin looked indignant.

"And why should the opinion of a _beast _matter to me?"

It was the degrading way he said it that shot Eragon to his feet. A growl ripped through his mind and through the walls of the palace. Orrin blanched and a few around the table gave startled gasps. Islanzadi looked at Orrin angrily and even Arya seemed to be offended by the question. Eragon stared coldly at the King of Surda.

"You may keep your opinions of my dragon to yourself. And just a little tip, Dragons don't like to be insulted. Saphira's knowledge and power is greater than any here. Do not make the mistake of underestimating her again." Eragon calmed his anger enough to settle back into his seat. He looked around the table to find newfound respect on almost everyone's faces. "Should we continue the proceedings?"

It was agreed and Islanzadi took over. He looked at Arya then, not being able to help it, and was surprised to find her already watching him. Something in him stirred at the sight of her but he kept his feelings locked inside. He would not let his eyes betray his emotions to her. But at that moment he made a decision that he was going to get her to at least tolerate him one way or the other. It wouldn't do for a Queen to hate her husband. And, although he denied this reason, he felt a strong desire to be close to this beautiful and exotic woman.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She was prepared to speak out against Orrin but was beat to it by Eragon. The cool anger in his eyes was more intense than anything else she'd seen from him. At least when he spoke to her he had respect in his voice. As he put Orrin in his place his voice was filled with venom. She had thought him to be a prideful and arrogant boy. Now it seemed there was much more to his character. And as his dragon's roar had echoed on the walls it had sent a jolt of hope through her. Saphira was the first dragon in a very, very long time. She looked at Eragon and watched his eyes as they fought back the anger Orrin had caused in him.

Just then his eyes found hers. Instead of looking away she held his gaze. Her mother and Orik were in the process of talking over things that happened in the past and nobody was paying attention to her or Eragon. He watched her for a moment and then a small smirk spread across his face. And just like that her opinion of his being prideful and arrogant returned. She looked away annoyed and focused on what her mother was saying. After almost four hours they had barely gotten anywhere. Finally Islanzadi called for everyone's attention and suggested they continue the next night. It was agreed upon and they stood. As she was about to leave with her mother a mind brushed her own.

She tensed as if under attack and shut whoever it was out until she recognized the presence. Blocking everything from him she allowed Eragon into her head.

"_What?"_

She felt his amusement at her snappy tone and annoyance welled in her. He answered her softly, as if apologizing for angering her.

"_Arya, I would like to speak with you. Will you meet me out in the garden?"_

"_What for?"_

"_I would just like to talk to you." _She was about to say no when he added, _"Please."_

She debated for a moment.

"_Fine." _

With that she severed their connection and turned to her mother.

"I still need to speak with you but it will be in some time."

Nodding, Islanzadi turned and left with the others. Arya made her way through the halls behind Eragon. He led her through a different set of doors than she'd entered and into an older part of the palace. The walls were made of stone, but these were worn and cracked. Despite the unkempt look, she felt more comfortable here than in the rest of the pristine castle.

They didn't speak until he had led them into the semi-cool night and down marble steps, past rows of half-bloomed flowers that sent fragrances swirling around her and invading her elven senses. Fountains of different kings of Carvahall were placed along the pathway. He stopped at a bench and sat down, motioning for her to do the same. She ignored his offer and remained standing. Sighing, he returned to his feet.

"Arya, I know that you may hate me. And I know I haven't really tried to change your mind. I need to apologize because this," He motioned between the two of them. "this is going to happen. I know you don't wish it. I know you don't even consider me worthy to be the ground below your feet, but I am just asking that you give me a chance. We are entering a trying time and will need the unity of the races to survive. I will add that I wish this marriage wasn't necessary for I always hoped to marry somebody that I loved, but it is and so I shall go forward with it." He looked at her and his face was serious. "This is my apology for my behavior earlier and I hope you can accept it."

With that he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking away. She tried to repress the surprised intake of breath at his words and actions. She'd come out here with every intention of making it even more obvious that she was never going to be happy with him and he went and made her speechless. That never happened. And when his lips pressed softly to her cheek her mind had blanked of any retort. After he'd walked away she stood there for a few minutes to gain her bearings. Finally she sighed and headed back to the palace, knowing this was going to be a very difficult situation to control.

**Oh, and this story is going to take longer to update because there's a plot and I actually have to think about it when I write lmao. So it may just be an update once a week. If I put up my other story and do both at the same time it'll be even longer.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for not being mad at me and giving this new story a chance. And I'm possibly going to put up an Epilogue for "FtP" at some point but I'm not sure. And Eragon is king and he isn't part elf. Yet. :) Also, you'll get a background on this AU world as it goes along. And I think I answered all the questions. If not, feel free to ask again and I'll get them next chapter.**

She knocked on her mother's door fifteen minutes later and Islanzadi called her in.

"Arya."

"Mother."

"What did you wish to speak with me about?"

Arya fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"You didn't ask me."

"Ask you what?"

"Seriously? Mother, you scry me three days ago and say I am to be married? I was not even consulted. You made a decision that will affect my future and you don't even allow me to be part of it?"

"Arya, this is how it has to be. This is the only way to unite the people against Galbatorix. I'm so sorry that it is at the loss of your freedom but this is not some form of punishment. Please understand. . ."

"Understand?! You traded my freedom because of a war you started!"

She frowned as she repeated the exact words Eragon had earlier. Her mother sighed and her usually passive expression disappeared as she moved toward her daughter.

"Arya, I _am _sorry." Arya watched her carefully as Islanzadi continued. "medh allr iet hjarta (with all my heart). Please, can you forgive me? If this wasn't going to ensure our two races allegiance I wouldn't even consider it."

Arya took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her mother, who was usually so distant, was almost begging for her forgiveness. She nodded and moved to leave but her mother grabbed her hand.

"He's a good man."

Arya looked down.

"And you know this how?"

Islanzadi smiled.

"Well I will admit the idea of a marriage crossed my mind a couple months ago. I sent spies within the palace to watch him and report to me. Everything he does is for the right reason's, Arya. But still, I wasn't going to do it. And then he saved your life. That convinced me because despite the battle between our two races, he still risked his life to rescue you. I knew then that he would be the one to unite us, if anyone. It seems fate agreed as he has now become King."

Without a response Arya nodded and dropped her mother's hand before walking out of the room and heading to her own. She moved slowly, taking in the paintings that hung along the stone wall. All things considered, this was a beautiful palace. She arrived at her room and whispered a spell that unlocked it. She'd been provided with a key but it didn't seem secure enough to rely on it alone. Closing the door behind her she looked around the room. It was nice, really. The lighting left you with a warm feeling and the bed was big enough to hold four people. The covers were a satiny silver fabric that had impressed her and the pillows were perfectly comfortable. But it wasn't home. Sighing she put on her night clothes and climbed into the overly large bed.

The next morning she woke to to the unfamiliar surroundings and once again missed her homeland. She chided herself for letting her emotions get the best of her and forced herself to get up. This was going to be her home now. This palace with all its stone and cold corners. Running a hand through her hair she walked to the closet and changed into her favorite leathers, not caring that it wasn't proper for a future queen. She was going to enjoy her freedom until it was taken from her.

Walking out onto the balcony she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the warm breeze. The air here was not as pure as it was in Ellesmera. Another thing she'd have to get used to. She stood for a few minutes, looking out into the town. Even though it was different, it had its own beauty. The brick and stone houses were artfully designed and lay in a maze of side streets and large market places. And if she looked far to the left she could see the beaches and the ocean past it. Just then a roar split the air and she looked up to find Saphira flying a hundred feet above her. The great dragon twisted in the air and barreled down. At her. Fear struck her but she held her ground, knowing that she wouldn't be hurt. Saphira shot out her wings and landed on the balcony before Arya. The dragon's powerful mind brushed her own and Arya let her in tentatively, careful to block any of her thoughts not meant for others.

"_Alfa."_

Arya listened in wonder as Saphira's voice echoed in her mind. She was talking to a dragon. She responded.

"_Skulblaka."_

The dragon regarded her with curiosity.

"_You do not cower at my approach?"_

"_Should I? What harm have I done to you for you to respond in kind?"_

The dragon's amusement was obvious.

"_Most hide like the little deer I hunt."_

Arya smiled.

"_Would you rather I hide?"_

"_No. Their cowardice is a little off-putting. I'm not that scary."_

"_Of course not. But your great strength and form are not to be taken lightly. You could easily destroy any who crossed your path."_

"_Flattery? Do you think me petty?"_

Despite her reproach Arya could sense the dragon's pride in her power.

"_Of course not. I was merely explaining the people's thought process."_

"_Eragon has tried many times to do the same."_

At her fiancé's name she flinched and cut off the emotions she was feeling so Saphira couldn't see them. The dragon noticed and her thoughts became serious.

"_Do you mean to harm my rider?"_

"_No."_

"_I do not trust you, elf."_

Arya sighed and switched back to the ancient language.

"_Skulblaka, eka celöbra ono un malabra ono un onr Shur'tugal né haina." _(Dragon, I honor you and mean you and your Rider no harm)

"_Then why do you hide from me how you feel of him? Your thoughts of him?"_

"_Because my thoughts are my own." _Saphira's annoyance was plain and Arya chuckled. _"That's the reason you came here isn't it, Saphira? To see what I felt?"_

"_Of course. I wish to know if you are going to hurt him or hinder him in any way. He respects you greatly and regards you with the upmost honor. He is worried of course, but all too trusting that this arrangement is for the greater good. I am here to tell you that if I see that you are here for your own gain, spying for your mother, I will not hesitate to kill you."_

Arya knew her to be telling the truth.

"_I understand. Eka wilae neo haina onr shur'tugal allr" _(I will not harm your rider at all)

Saphira regarded her for a moment and then nodded her huge head.

_Very well. It seems we can be friends. Now tell me what you feel of Eragon."_

Arya chuckled again.

"_A very noble effort but I shall keep my thoughts to myself. Did he put you up to this?"_

The growl that tore through Saphira's throat surprised Arya and she took a step back.

"_I am not just here to abide to Eragon's whims. You think so little of me?"_

Arya faltered and tried to regain the camaraderie with which they had been speaking.

"_I meant no offense, Saphira. Please forgive me."_

Saphira blew smoke in Arya's face.

"_Very well. Eragon needs me so I must go. And Arya. . . this conversation is not to be repeated to anyone. Understood?"_

"_Understood."_

With that the great dragon unfurled her winds and took off. Arya watched her go and then did what she'd been planning on doing in the first place. Stepping over the balcony, she started the long climb towards the ground.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He had been blocked from Saphira's mind for almost ten minutes and it was beginning to anger him. He had wanted to fly with her some before going to train with Brom. Even with everything that was going on, Brom said he needed to continue his drills. Eragon was just about to leave his room when Saphira opened to him. He caught the image of Arya on her balcony in black leather just before Saphira took off.

"_My apologies Eragon. I was in the middle of a conversation with Arya."_

"_Why? And why am I not allowed to listen in?"_

"_Because Arya's privacy is her own."_

Frustrated he walked out onto his own balcony and waited for her. Soon enough he saw her hulking mass heading for him. She hovered at level with him and he ran and jumped, using the sharp spikes to steady himself when he landed. He then made his way to her shoulders and settled down.

"_So you aren't going to tell me what you talked about?"_

"_No."_

Sighing, he let it go.

"_Fine, take me to the arena."_

"_Do you think you'll have an audience?"_

"_Probably. And I really hope I don't embarrass myself and lose the little respect I earned last night."_

"_Eragon, you are one of the most skilled swordsman in the land. It's been said by all who see you. Do not doubt yourself."_

They flew in silence for a moment before Eragon asked again.

"_So you're really not going to tell me what she said?"_

"_Eragon. . . ."_

Grumbling, he stayed silent till they arrived at the arena. It was actually settled on the beach. It was a huge building with four walls that enclosed bleachers and the actual arena. Inside there was sand surrounding a square platform sixty yards all around. Bleachers were situated along the walls that surrounded the sand and platform. It was a set up unique to the land of Carvahall and Garrow had always been proud of it. Saphira landed with a gust of wind, sending sand flying everywhere, much to the annoyance of the spectators unlucky enough to get splattered with it. He jumped off and made his way to where Brom was already waiting. As he walked over Brom tossed him a sword which he caught easily from years of practice. For show he twirled the blade a few times around. Brom laughed.

"Stop showing off, Eragon."

He shrugged with a grin.

"Hey, people come for a show so why not give them one?"

"Focus Eragon."

Eragon bowed mockingly and looked back to find Saphira curled into the sand, watching him. He felt her amusement as well. Stripping off his shirt he threw it to the side and blunted his sword as Brom did the same. They walked toward each other and Brom frowned at him.

"Feet Eragon."

"We haven't started yet!"

"You need to be on your guard even when in a practice with a friend. Get your feet in the ready position even as you walk. And was it necessary to remove your shirt?"

"It's hot out here."

Brom chuckled.

"It's perfectly fine out. You just want to be a spectacle."

Eragon bit the inside of his cheeks to stop a grin.

"You could always do the same. . . oh wait, nobody wants to see all _that._"

He motioned to Brom's torso. Shaking his head, Brom circled him.

"Too cocky, Eragon. Control yourself."

"Of course."

Just then he heard gasps from the crowd and turned to find Islanzadi walking in with three elves. Orik was behind them with two of his dwarves and Nasuada and Orrin were right behind with a crowd of around two hundred following closely. The crowd consisted of people from all races. They settled in among the stands, the Kings and Queens taking the middle section set up for royalty and guests of honor. His heart thudded nervously until a cold point settled on his cheek and pulled his attention back to Brom.

"Eragon, focus on what we're doing. Forget them. Forget their stations. They are just here to watch you like everyone else."

Taking a huge breath he pushed everything from his mind and got into a fighting stance, his sword out before him and at the ready. Brom was the first to move as he took a step towards Eragon, sword slashing at his midsection. Eragon blocked easily and countered with a stab at Brom's chest. Brom parried, pushing the sword to the side and swinging at Eragon's unguarded neck. Eragon ducked swiftly and rolled to the side before returning to his feet. After that the battle became heated, slashes and strikes coming in flurries of blows between two equals. It lasted for over ten minutes before Eragon tried something different. He shifted his guard, allowing for his shoulder to be exposed.

Brom saw an opening and aimed for it but it was a false weakness. Eragon, who'd anticipated it, dove to the side and then rolled, kicking Brom's feet from under him. The man fell back and Eragon rose to a kneeling position and held his sword to Brom's throat.

"Dead."

Brom smiled and pushed Eragon's sword away with his hand, rising from the ground.

"Very good." And then he turned to the crowded Arena. "As you can see the student surpasses the teacher. Is there any who would like to test their steel against his?"

All who knew Eragon and his skill, those who had seen more of it, kept their heads down. But many from Surda, who'd never even gotten word stood at Brom's call. They came down to the sand and waited for him to call one forward. Before he could Brom spoke again.

"You three." Eragon looked to where he was pointing. "Do you care to fight King Eragon?" They nodded slowly. "Then all three come forward and grab a sword."

Eragon fought to keep his face blank as he turned to Brom. There was a hint of nervousness when he spoke.

"Brom, three at once? We don't even know how good they are."

"Take a look Eragon. That big one is obviously strong but his excessive muscle will slow him down a lot. That tall one might be quick but his arms look like straw. You aim a forceful blow at him and he wont be able to parry. The only who might give you trouble is the one in the middle. He looks fast and he has a good bit of muscle on him to boot. And there is one other thing. They aren't very smart."

"How do you figure?"

"They saw the level of your skill when you fought me. Obviously they are either very dense or very egotistical. Either way, it will factor into the battle."

Eragon nodded, his nerves slowly calming as he set his feet and rolled his shoulders in an effort to loosen his tense back. The Surdans grabbed swords from a rack in the sand and stepped onto the wooden floor. He waited patiently as they approached, Brom making his way off to the side.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She dropped to the stone pathway she made her way quickly out of the castle and to the village below it. People gave her strange looks because of her exotic looks and inappropriate clothing and women smacked their husbands and lovers who couldn't pull their gazes from her. She ignored everyone, the venders throwing useless trinkets into her face, the people yelling out prices and deals, and made her way into the alleyways where people were less likely to be.

She had just turned a corner when she heard a scuffling of feet from behind. Whirling, she ducked in time to dodge a blow aimed at her head. The attacker stumbled and then steadied himself to face her. Arya slid her sword out of its sheath and held it point down in front of her. She sighed when she saw it was just a boy of ten or eleven. He glared at her and then whistled. More scuffling feet and then there were boys and girls pouring around corners and surrounding her. Most were younger than fifteen but there were a few older than that. In all there was about twenty total.

One girl, at least nineteen, stepped forward with a boy a little older next to her. Obviously the leaders.

"You are surrounded by so many. Why don't you just give us what you have and we'll be on our way?"

Arya smiled.

"Because even with these numbers, you're chances of survival against me are little to none."

Laughter burst from around her and the girl spoke again.

"Why is that?"

Arya brushed her hair behind her pointed ears and gasps replaced all amusement.

"I could bring you all to your knees in seconds. And if by some crazy fluke, you even scratched me, I'm sure my fiancé would throw you in jail for your crimes. Execution is more likely though."

Another round of nervous mumbling and gasps as they realized _exactly_ who she was. The girl who'd spoken narrowed her eyes and took a step forward but the boy grabbed her.

"Anna, don't be stupid."

"Shut up Devin. She could be lying."

"I don't think so. Annabel, lets go."

"No, take the young ones just in case and get out of here."

"Ann-"

"Do it!"

Devin turned and ushered all the kids younger than sixteen away. That left four and Annabel. She looked at the girl's dirty face and could see, even with the mud, a beautiful young woman with silver-grey, intelligent eyes and golden hair that was streaked with blue.

"We aren't afraid of you, _elf._"

Arya smiled and motioned to the four guys spread around her.

"It seems that you are the only one who claims that. And even with those words I see the fear in your eyes."

The girl stepped forward, pulling out a slender blade. Impressive equipment for somebody who made a living stealing from people in dark alleys.

"Let us see what you can do then."

"Garjzla, letta." (light stop) The people around her shouted in surprise as she took their eyesight from them. After a moment she returned it and spoke a different spell. "Reisa du rakr." (Raise the mist) The air around them clouded and mist shielded her from everyone's sight. She, as an elf, could hear exactly where they were and still see their outlines. Quietly she walked around the boy to her left and got behind Annabel. Without warning she pressed her blade to the girls throat and let the mist drop away. When the others saw her with her blade to Anna's throat they blanched and dropped their weapons. Arya whispered so only Anna could hear.

"Tell them to leave."

Anna did as told and when they'd all left, Arya released her. The girl whirled and struck at Arya's head which Arya blocked as if swatting a fly. Anna backed away and then attacked in a flurry of well placed strikes that Arya parried without effort. The girl seemed to see then that she had lost. Still, she held her sword at the ready.

"I wont go down without a fight."

Arya nodded.

"I see that. But your sword arm is two low and your feet are off slightly, it'll make strikes harder to block." Arya sheathed her sword. "I'm not going to fight you, Annbel. Go home."

The girl shook her head.

"I wont cower from a fight."

"Brave." Moving quicker than eye could see Arya knocked the sword from her hand and grabbed the scruff of Anna's collar, pulling her off the ground so she was eye level. "But the true strength of a warrior relies in his humility and brains. Running into a slaughter is pointless. Know when you are beaten and go home to train harder, longer, until you know you can best your opponent." She dropped the girl to her feet and stepped away. "Although don't ever challenge an elf. Even the most untrained could easily break you with swipe of their hand. Understand?"

Annabel swallowed and nodded.

"Yes."

"Then go home and let your parents know you're alive. I'm sure tales of your death are already spreading through the town."

The girl took off and Arya continued to the far gates that led out onto the beach. The guards stopped her.

"Ma'am this area is closed due to the King's presence in the arena. You can go out later."

Arya frowned. She had just planned to walk the beaches but she had to admit she was curious at Eragon's skill. It was wide-spread that there was no one better.

"Why would his future wife not be allowed to watch this battle?"

The guard regarded her and then blanched. Still he held his ground.

"I believe you but if I could please see some proof. This is a tense time-"

Arya pushed her hand in his face and showed the ring of Ellesmera royalty.

"I am the daughter of Islanzadi and this is my proof."

The guard nodded and let her through, motioning for a group of guards to go with her.

"I can almost take that as proof but just in case, I will need you to travel with a guard who can check with her before we let you in. I really do apologize, milady."

Sighing Arya nodded and followed the guards onto the sand that radiated heat onto her face. _At least I wont have to worry about security being lax. _It took five minutes to walk the distance between the North gate to the arena that was a huge mass of wood and stone sitting in the sand. When they arrived at the entrance they stopped her from entering and sent a runner. Minutes later he returned, face pale and waved away the guard. She entered and walked through a stone corridor.

As she arrived at another door she could hear the clashing of weapons. Opening them she was met with Eragon, spinning into a crouch and slashing at the legs of a fighter. His sword connected with a sickening crack and the man shouted, dropping his sword and falling to the ground. One was left standing and another was limping off into the sand. Looking back to Eragon, he was just turning to face the last man. His shirtless body was covered in sweat and she couldn't help but admire the _very _defined muscles of his chest and abdomen.

She watched as his toned arm brandished his sword before a dizzying number of attacks was set at the last fighter. The man held his own for a moment before it became too much and Eragon knocked his sword to the ground. With quick movements he flicked the tip of his sword to the man's throat. Cheers erupted all around and the opponent collapsed exhausted onto the wood. Eragon went to the one whose leg he broke and he knelt next to him. After a minute or so he stood and helped the man up. Arya raised her eyebrows. He knew the human body well enough to be able to heal bones. Impressive.

As the defeated left to be tended to and to rest, Brom, whom Arya had learned was Eragon's guardian, looked around the crowed. She noticed many men who'd been standing in the sand, as if waiting for their turn, returned to their seats. Two remained. One who Arya knew. She'd seen this guy fight before and he was not to be taken lightly. The other she didn't know but he seemed quite capable. Brom motioned them forward and Arya caught Eragon throw him an annoyed glare before facing the approaching opponents.

The one she knew of stopped at the edge.

"I'd like to fight alone."

Brom raised his eyebrows and then shrugged.

"Fine. You can each have your own fight. You can go after this man."

With that Brom told the other to grab a weapon. To Eragon's obvious surprise, the man grabbed a spear.

"Let's see if you can fight with more than a sword."

Eragon watched him carefully and then nodded and motioned for his opponent to toss him a spear. The man did so and Eragon caught it easily, spinning it in a single hand for show before stopping and blunting the tip. He did the same for his opponent. The match was over almost as soon as it began.

As Eragon's opponent struck, Eragon parried, twisted, and swung around, slamming the shaft of the speak into his opponents ribs. The man stumbled backwards and tried to block the next hit but only succeeded in leaving an opening for Eragon to slam the butt of the spear into his stomach. With a flick of his wrist, Eragon had the tip of his spear to the man's throat. His opponent dropped his own in defeat and left the platform dejectedly.

Now it was time for the last man. Eragon tossed the spear to the side and took his sword back from Brom who he'd given it to before the last battle. He looked at his opponent.

"What is your name?"

"Tristan Faucon."

Eragon nodded and wiped his brow before getting into stance. Tristan was the first to strike and Eragon seemed surprised at his strength and quickness. He backed away and studied his opponent from head to toe, summing him up and looking for weaknesses. For the next few minutes, it was back and forth, parries and counters and neither gaining an edge. Eragon frowned after a succession of strikes from Tristan caused him to stumble slightly in trying to escape. Tristan smiled as if believing he'd almost won, and that was when she saw it. Eragon's body shifted, just enough for her to see what was coming.

As Tristan struck at him again, Eragon spun around him and swung his sword at his back. Tristan barely had time to turn and block and he lost his balance. Eragon swung at his opponents legs and was blocked. He stepped backwards as a futile swing came from Tristan and then struck in quick succession until he was completely off balance. Eragon's victory was swift after that. He grabbed Tristan's sword arm and pressed the edge of his blade to Tristan's throat. Another victory. This time the cheers were even louder. When Tristan had cleared the platform, Brom returned and smiled at the people.

"Any more challengers?"

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

"I will."

He turned to the voice and when he found it's owner his stomach dropped. There, standing twenty feet away, was Arya.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm going to update every Friday either in the morning or at night. And yes, Murtagh's going to be in the story. Most of the characters from the books are. And I'm glad you all are enjoying this! Hope you continue to! And thank you all for the awesome reviews. And I know this is a way longer update time than my past stories but putting up a chapter every other day is going to be too hard with college starting. My apologies.**

She walked toward him, her face determined, and he fought the desire to sigh. There was no way for him to beat her. She was an elf, and even as a dragon rider he wasn't as fast or strong as her. _What was her purpose for doing this? _Looking to the stands he found Islanzadi standing and frowning at her daughter. She spoke across the arena.

"Arya."

Ignoring her mother Arya walked right up to Eragon.

"I will."

He tried to reason with her.

"It will not look good for the people to see us fighting."

"Scared, Eragon?"

_Hell yes. _He watched her passive green eyes and wished he knew what she was thinking. Instead he answered her,

"No, but I don't wish to fight you."

"That's too bad. Raise your guard."

Despite his desire not to do it, if challenged, a King must always meet it. Holding back his sigh, he readied his feet and raised his guard. At least he was going to _try _and beat her. This time, he was the first to attack. He swung at her midsection and she swatted it away. After a moment of him attacking and her just pushing his sword back, he realized what she was doing. Arya was playing with him. Mocking him and making him look incapable in front of almost five hundred people.

Fury ripped through him and he decided if she was going to do that, he might as well try as hard a possible to land a hit. He pulled out all the stops, trying everything he knew and inventing new things on the fly, all in an effort to land a blow. She did nothing but block his attempts and dodge every trick he used. After almost fifteen minutes he'd had enough. Taking his sword in both hands he swung at her with everything he had.

She blocked the first three strikes and in the next two seconds she spun and struck, her blade cutting across his cheek with searing pain before it settled right before the hollow of his neck. He dropped his sword, accepting defeat, and a smile spread across her face. He watched her victorious eyes and his anger doubled. He ran a hand through his hair and with as much dignity as he had left, he bowed slightly and turned to leave the floor. But not before giving her a glare of pure frustration and rage. Her eyes narrowed in confusion but he didn't stay to explain anything.

When he arrived in his changing rooms he kicked the chair against the wall and it shattered into hundreds of shards. Saphira tried to speak to him but he kept their connection blocked. He didn't want to take his anger out on her. Eragon needed to punch something. Anything at all would work. He walked to the only wooden wall in the room and pounded his fist through it. The door opened and he whirled to face it, yelling.

"Leave me!"

He stopped when he found Arya standing there, leaning casually against the doorjamb. His anger heightened even more.

"If you came to gloat, save your breath."

"You obviously didn't get what I was trying to do."

"If your goal here was to make a fool of me you surely succeeded. Why do you need to come here and mock me further? You knew you could beat me but was it really necessary to let it on for so long? It was cruel, Arya."

She frowned.

"Eragon, listen to the crowd. Do you hear their cheers? They just saw one of the most impressive shows of talent they've ever encountered. No human alive can match your prowess with a sword. I've never even seen some of those moves you did. It is an incredible feat to shock an entire crowd into silence for a number of minutes."

He frowned at her and listened to a still excited crowd that had been drowned out before because of his anger. The realization hit him and he looked down, ashamed at his overreaction.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

He was surprised when he felt her fingers on his chin. She spoke the ancient language and he realized she was healing where her sword had cut his cheek. When she was done she started to retreat but he linked his fingers through her own. She caught her breath and her eyes shot to his, blanking his mind from what he'd been planning to say. Instead he fought out two words.

"Thank you."

She nodded but didn't look away or move for a matter of moments. His heart thudded and he feared she might be able to hear it. Finally she seemed to come to her senses and dropped his hand and gaze. The loss he felt was almost palpable. She bowed politely and moved out of his room, closing the door in the process. He stood staring at the it for awhile. He hadn't expected to feel anything to this magnitude for this woman and now that he did, he wondered if his feelings could ever be reciprocated. Brom entered his changing room.

"Where did you learn all of those attacks? I know I didn't teach them to you."

Eragon shrugged.

"I was just trying different things because I really wanted to just land a single blow."

Brom chuckled.

"Well, you sure as hell proved yourself to all the newcomers. You should just hear what people are saying."

Eragon chuckled.

"Was it really that noteworthy?"

Brom raised his eyebrows.

"Noteworthy? Eragon, that was legendary."

Just then he realized he still had Saphira blocked from his thoughts and he opened them. She growled at him and then started ranting. He cut her off.

"_I'm sorry Saphira. I was just kind of upset."_

"_Why? That was incredible."_

"_So I've heard."_

"_Where did you learn all that?"_

"_I don't know, I just kind of made it up."_

She chuckled through their connection.

_That makes it even more impressive. Arya did good."_

Eragon sighed.

"_That she did."_

Saphira caught snippets of the memory of Arya speaking to him, healing him.

"_You feel more for her than you expected to."_

"_Yes."_

"_Well isn't that a good thing?"_

"_Only if she were to feel the same. If I fall for her I am more likely to make exceptions and be persuaded by her. It will be a distraction that I'm not sure I can deal with."_

"_You're stronger than you think, Eragon."_

"_Maybe."_

He looked back to Brom.

"Is it going to be like this every day? You offering me to fight whomever?"

Brom chuckled.

"I think you need a new teacher. I obviously have nothing else to show you."

"But who. . . " He drifted off as Brom gave him a pointed look. "No, that'd be weird."

"Why? I spoke to some of her people and they say she is their number one swordsmam. It'll be perfect."

Eragon sighed and Saphira put in her two cents.

"_I think it will be an entertaining show watching her put him on his butt countless times."_

From Brom's smile he guessed Saphira had said that to both of them.

"_Thanks a lot Saphira."_

"_No problem."_

Brom nodded.

"So it's settled. You will ask Arya to train you."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Brom frowned.

"Don't be a coward."

"I'm not a coward. I'm just. . . busy."

"Sure, Eragon. Ask her."

"Fine."

Brom clapped his shoulder and then left to go train his next student. Eragon changed his pants and threw on a shirt before leaving the changing room and heading back into the arena. The moment he stepped into the light, the crowd left erupted into cheers. He smiled to them and waved before heading to Saphira. Climbing up her leg to her shoulders, he settled down and looked toward the Royalty box. His heart stopped momentarily when he saw Arya watching him. She had been speaking to her mother who had also turned to look. He swallowed and nodded a bow at both of them but as Saphira was about to take off, a little kid ran up to them.

"Can I pet her?"

Eragon laughed and jumped down next to the boy.

"She is not an animal but you may touch her scales."

The kid reached out tentatively and the moment his finger brushed Saphira's scales, he giggled and ran away. Eragon watched chuckling and turned to find another kid, this time a girl, standing nervously next to him. It happened a lot. Dragon's had never been seen and they intrigued most everyone. It just seemed that the only brave enough to come near Saphira were the children. After fifteen minutes he was able to get back on Saphira and she took off with a blast of her wings.

"_Let's take a fly over the beach. I'm not in the mood for interacting with people."_

Saphira chuckled and aimed for the beach. They'd only flown a few minutes before Eragon saw an outline of a person standing ankle deep in the water. He frowned and then when they got closer, he saw exactly who it was.

"_Saphira, stop."_

"_Don't you wish to speak with her?"_

"_Yes but. . . just let me think about what I _should _say."_

Eragon watched as the sea breeze captured Arya's hair and lifted it as if trying to steal it away. The sun was silhouetting her and it was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. Saphira sighed and headed towards her.

"_I'm not just going to let you drool at her forever, Eragon."_

He protested but Saphira ignored him, continuing towards Arya.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She watched them and when the child spoke to him and he jumped down, she smiled. After a moment she turned back to her mom who was studying her.

"You like him."

"Who?"

Islanzadi frowned.

"Don't play ignorant, it doesn't suit you."

Arya sighed.

"I don't know. Maybe."

Her mom chuckled.

"Well this is an interesting development."

Rolling her eyes she started to walk off.

"I'll see you at the meeting tonight, I want to take a walk around the beach."

"Maybe you should ask Eragon to accompany you?"

Arya turned back and found a smirk on her mother's face. Surprise flitted through her. Her mom never joked. She shook her head and continued her path down the bleachers and into the sand. As she exited the arena she left the trail that led back to the castle and headed for the water. She walked for five minutes before just stopping and staring out into the huge mass of water. After a moments she took off her shoes and buried her feet into the warm sand. Sea air brushed her skin and spray from it sprinkled her at intervals.

She clasped her hands behind her back and closed her eyes, blanking her mind. After a few minutes she heard the thundering of wingbeats in the distance. They were getting closer until they suddenly stopped. She fought the urge to look to the noise and after a moment they continued until she saw the blue of Saphira's wing in her peripheral vision. The dragon landed a few yards away and she heard Eragon land on the sand. He walked towards her slowly and stopped a few feet away.

"Arya."

His voice whispered through her veins and she shivered slightly. She didn't look at him but she did answer.

"Yes?"

I. . . um, well. . . " Arya turned at his hesitation and looked at him. He blushed and she had to admit it was endearing. "Since your knowledge of fighting is more extensive than my own. . . well I was wondering if you would take over my training?"

She raised her eyebrows and turned fully towards him.

"Wouldn't that damage you ego a bit?"

He frowned.

"I am not egotistical."

"Sure you aren't." Arya thought about it for a moment. "I'll do it. But under my own terms. I don't want to be a spectacle for hundreds to watch." She looked around. "We can do it out here."

His eyebrows pinched together in question.

"In the sand?"

"Yes. It's perfect because it'll be harder for you with the ground shifting under your feet. You'll be stronger for it."

"Yay, make it harder. Thanks a lot Brom."

Arya fought back a chuckle.

"Brom told you to do this?"

"Yes. He said he couldn't teach me anymore."

"He's right, Eragon. Not even he can match your skill."

Eragon tilted his head.

"If I were an elf, do you think I could beat you?"

Arya smirked.

"No."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Really? You said you hadn't even seen some of the things I did. Why would I not be able to defeat you?"

She sighed.

"You still have much to learn. For instance, you are too impatient. Even in the fights you win, you attack without studying your opponent. You must watch and shift and change according to their style and size. You are bound to face stronger enemies than that and if you are just running in blindly, you will get injured or killed. And your technique isn't as good as it could be. So no, against my experience and skill, you would lose."

He grinned cheekily.

"Now whose egotistical."

She smirked.

"It's not egotistical. I'm just stating a fact."

He chuckled and then blatantly looked her up and down.

"Interesting outfit."

She bristled. He was not going to decide what she wore. Despite this marriage she would keep the right to make her own decisions.

"One I will continue to wear."

Eragon seemed to realize he struck a nerve.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. I've just never seen a woman wear something like that before."

She looked away.

"It's more comfortable than a dress."

He nodded.

"I would guess so. If I was girl I'd probably try my best not to wear one. . . " He stopped, realizing exactly what it just sounded like. Behind them Saphira snorted out smoke in which Arya guessed was laughter. "I didn't mean it like that. . ."

Arya smiled.

"Of course not."

Eragon cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.

"So are you coming back to the castle? I could walk with you."

She shook her head.

"I think I'll stay out here for a bit longer."

He nodded and she saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes before he cleared them.

"Sure. I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yes."

He smiled and bowed politely before climbing up Saphira's shoulder. With that she took off, leaving Arya to herself. She hadn't realized until now but her heart rate had skyrocketed the moment Eragon's feet had touched the ground. Steeling herself she rolled up her leggings and walked further into the ocean until it was up to her knees. The cold water calmed her until she could think clearly. _Why did he have this effect on her? _She turned to look at the receding blue spot in the sky and sighed. _Wasn't it a good thing that she felt something for her future husband? _Just as the thought occurred to her, a memory crashed past her so carefully constructed wall, leaving her breathless.

"_You seem tired."_

_She shook her head, careful not to let him see her eyes. He would know then that she was lying. A hand brushed her jaw, forcing her to look at him. She closed her eyes and his other hand cupped her chin._

"_Arya, look at me."_

_She blinked-_

Arya shut down the memory just as quick as it came. _Dammit, no! _It was too painful to think about. If she let that memory play, all the others would follow. He was dead and he was never coming back. Taking a deep breath she stepped out of the water and onto the warm sand, the sudden shift in temperature taking her from her mind and to the present. She should probably be heading back anyways. Wiping off the soles of her feet she slipped her shoes back on and headed for the castle gates.

By the time dinner came around she'd successfully cleared her mind of anything to do with her past. She changed from her leathers into a dark green dress and brushed out her hair. Taking a deep breath she walked to the door and opened it, making her way down the halls she already had memorized. As she walked through the open double doors to the dining hall many people turned to her and watched. When she saw her mother she made her way to her, eager to escape the curious eyes. She'd almost arrived when somebody fell in step next to her.

"Will you do me the honor of sitting next to me?"

She looked to find Eragon beside her. After a moment she nodded.

"Of course."

He smiled and walked to a spot beside Roran and she sat down next to him. Arya looked to find her mother smirking at her and frowned before turning away.

They were a few minutes into the meal when Eragon turned to her.

"So you took a walk through the city today?"

Arya looked at him sharply.

"How do you know that?"

Eragon shrugged.

"I have eyes everywhere. What did you think?"

"Of what?"

"The town of course. I mean, I know it's no Ellesmera but it has it's own charm, I think."

She recalculated her opinion of him. She'd been expecting disapproval or annoyance that she'd just went walking willy-nilly around the village but instead he was interested in what she thought.

"It was nice. Although I had a run in with a little group of children playing thief. It was an interesting trip."

Eragon shifted uncomfortably.

"Anna?"

Arya nodded.

"How did you know?"

He sighed.

"Because she's been brought in before and put into the prison. Caused quite a ruckus when one of the inmates tried to, uh, well, take advantage of her. I think she broke his right arm and a couple ribs. I had a conversation with her and learned about her family. Arya, I understand if you want to charge her but I beg you to reconsider. Her mother needs her."

Arya fought the urge to raise her eyebrows. This man was constantly surprising her. She shook her head.

"I don't want to get her in trouble, Eragon. Although she should be trained because her skill with a sword is quite impressive. It sounds like she's not so bad weaponless either."

Eragon smiled.

"Thank you. And is she really?" And then his face clouded. "Wait, she pulled a sword on you?"

Arya smirked.

"I pulled one first. I think it was defense."

He frowned, obviously concerned. Annoyance flared in her.

"I am not some petty girl that needs protection Eragon. There is no need to worry for my safety."

He shook his head.

"That's not it. What worries me is that she has a sword. What did it look like?"

Arya shrugged.

"It was nice. The blade was slender and the pommel had a silver hand-guard with some pretty intricate designs."

Eragon blanched.

"Damn her. I knew she was lying."

"What?"

He seemed to realize then he'd spoken aloud and shook his head.

"Well, before Garrow passed I would sometimes lead patrols through the city, get to know the people. At one point a guard caught her pickpocketing and he started cuffing her, taking her into the alleys. I shudder at what he was planning to do. Luckily I saw it and stopped him. He was stripped of his duty and sent to prison. When I spoke to her next she told me she was going to get his sword. To prove that she was stronger. To get him back. When I told her not to, she promised, but she was lying. That guard gets out of prison tonight and if his sword's not there he'll know." He fidgeted in his seat. "I need to find her before he figures out exactly who she is and where she lives. Her entire family could be in danger."

Arya looked at him.

"What're you planning to do?"

He ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. I can't just get up and leave anymore." He looked around. "I'll have to go after but I'll only have twenty or thirty minutes before the peace council."

"Why don't you tell one of your guards to check on her? You're a king with thousands at your disposal."

He frowned at her.

"Just because I am able to order people around, does not mean I should do it. Their lives are just as important as mine own. If I am capable, I am responsible to do things for myself."

She nodded.

"Well put. I'll come with you."

He looked surprised.

"You don't have to do that."

She shrugged.

"I must say I am rather intrigued by her. She is skilled and could possibly be trained into a soldier or a guard. Maybe even a knight. She shouldn't be wasting herself on petty thievery."

Eragon smiled.

"Very well."

After dinner they went to their rooms to change and then met up at the gate that led down into the city.


	4. Chapter 4

**If you type in breeches on google images, you'll see that breeches can in fact be the same length as pants. Breeches do have a puffy weird thing but they still go all the way down to the ankles sometimes. So I am incorrect but not totally. Also, can you give a couple examples of grammatical errors because I don't see anything lol. Although that's not surprising considering that I'm horrible with grammar. Also, I am going to be putting up a chapter of a new story that I'm writing just to see what people think. I'm not going to continue it till this one is done (I don't think) but I do want to know if I should continue it at all. So yeah, let me know if you can. Also, I'll give more background on characters as I go along. **

It was almost midnight when they stepped out into the cool breeze. They walked quietly through the courtyard and when they arrived at the gate the guards, after seeing who they were, allowed them through into the town. Moving swiftly Eragon led the way through the dark streets. There was nobody to disturb them except a few drunks wandering the roads. She glanced at Eragon.

"Do you know where she lives?"

"Yes. I've escorted her home to her mother many times."

After walking for five minutes he stopped at a ramshackle house that was in desperate need of a cretaker. He knocked softly. After a couple moments a tired looking woman opened the door, confusion on her face. Her hair was in the beginning stages of graying but her eyes, the same as Annabel's we vibrant with life. When she recognized Eragon she smiled, showing two rows of perfect teeth. Odd for somebody of her status. When the woman threw her arms around Eragon, Arya was taken aback. Even more so when he returned her hug. The lady looked curiously at Arya just as Eragon spoke.

"Sybil, is Anna in yet?"

A worried frown appeared and the woman looked down.

"What's she done now?"

"I'm not sure, but she might be in danger. Is she here?"

Sybil nodded and stepped out of the way for Eragon to walk inside. Arya followed close behind. They waited in the small family room while Sybil went to get Annabel. She appeared seconds later with the girl at her side. When Anna saw Arya her face scrunched up.

"You."

Sybil turned to Arya, confused.

"What's wrong, Anna?"

Ignoring her mother the girl crossed her arms and spoke to Arya.

"So you went and whined to your prince. I should've known."

Sybil's face blanched and she looked at Arya.

"Whatever she did she didn't mean it. Honest. Please forgive her princess."

Arya sighed.

"I'm pretty sure she meant it although that's not why we're here."

Anna frowned.

"Then why."

Eragon took over then.

"Where's the sword, Anna?"

The girls face hardened and she shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Eragon frowned and stepped closer.

"You are putting your family at risk, Annabel. Give me the sword."

The girl sighed and turned to leave but her mother grabbed her arm.

"You pulled a sword on your future queen?!"

Arya raised her eyebrows. This lady was smart. She'd deduced what'd actually happened with barely any hard facts. Annabel pulled her arm away.

"I didn't know it was her at the time. She wasn't dressed as a princess, or even a woman, should be."

Anna's mom looked ready to apologize and yell at her daughter some more but Arya stopped her.

"Everything turned out all right. I wont bring you any trouble."

Sybil nodded but still shot a glare at her daughter before looking to Eragon. Arya motioned for Anna to get the sword. She followed her into a dark room. With her elf eyes she was able to see the four others in the room. All little children tightly curled under their blankets. Arya's heart warmed slightly at their innocent faces as she waited in the doorway for Anna. The girl came out moments later holding the sword. She held it out to Arya and sighed.

"Thanks for not getting me in trouble."

Arya took the sheathed sword.

"Your welcome. Although I'd like to talk to you about something."

Anna looked at her warily as they headed back into the family room where Sybil and Eragon were in deep conversation.

"What is it?"

"Where did you learn to fight?"

The girl was confused.

"I taught myself."

Arya smiled.

"I thought so. You have a natural talent, Anna. Have you ever thought about cultivating it?"

The girl shrugged.

"Maybe. But nobody would take me seriously."

Arya smiled.

"They would if you could prove to them how good you are. Would you like to be trained in swordsmanship?"

Anna's eyes widened.

"You're going to teach me?"

Arya laughed.

"I can. But only if you promise to stop stealing from people. And you have to be on time always. Every other day at noon, starting tomorrow. I'll be training Eragon from nine till then so that's the earliest I can do."

The girl smirked.

"You're training Eragon?"

Arya smiled. Before she could answer Eragon did it for her.

"Yes she is." He looked down at the sword in her hand. "We need to get that back to his house and then the peace council so we should probably go. It was good to see you again, Sybil. Annabel, stay out of trouble."

"Always."

Eragon snorted in disbelief and they left the house, him leading them further into the city. Arya looked around.

"How do you know where he lives too?"

"Because I made it a point to. I don't like to think somebody like that is getting out of prison. I'm having him watched."

Another surprise. He was much different than she had thought. They turned a corner and Eragon suddenly threw his arm out to stop her.

"Dammit."

"What?"

Eragon frowned.

"He's right there."

"Do we have time to get into the house and out before he reaches it?"

"No. We'll need a distraction. Could you handle that?"

She smirked.

"Of course."

"Ok, I'll go around back and slip in that way. Just give me a few minutes."

With that he took off around the back of the houses. She walked toward the man who Eragon had pointed out. He turned at her footsteps.

"Don't even think about. . . " He stopped when he saw her and a sickening smile spread across his face. "Well aren't you a pretty thing."

She bristled but put a smile on her face. He walked toward her and as soon as he was close, she punched him in the face. He collapsed onto the ground and she spoke.

"Taune manin abr thornessa." (Take memory of this)

After a few minutes Eragon walked around the corner. He frowned when he saw the motionless form of the man.

"Did you kill him?"

"No, I gave you a few minutes. Let's go." He chuckled and then it turned into full out laughter. She couldn't help but smile. His laugh was deep and enticing. "What?"

Through breaths he spoke.

"I thought you were gonna like talk to him or something, not just knock him out cold."

"I'm not one to be subtle."

"So I see. Did he see your face?"

"Yes but I took his memory of it so it'll be fine." He grinned and continued to chuckle. She rolled her eyes. "I don't see why this is so funny."

"Because most people's first idea when told to distract somebody is to _distract _them. Not punch them in the face."

She shifted.

"So."

He smiled.

"It's not a bad thing. It's just kind of funny."

Arya changed the subject. Things were getting to chummy between them and she didn't know if she really wanted that.

"Where's Saphira?"

"Flying. We usually do before long councils because we both get bored. I told her what we were going to do and she opted out."

Arya nodded.

"How much time is left before we're supposed to be at the council meeting?"

Eragon thought a moment and then swore.

"Three minutes, but it'll take at least seven to get back to the palace and then five more to get to the council room. I'm going to be in trouble."

"Take my hand."

He frowned.

"What?"

"I'm going to get us there, just take my hand."

He looked down and then linked his fingers through her own. She fought back a shiver. His hand was rough, like he was a hard worker, and yet it had its own softness in the way he gripped her own. The fact that her hand fit perfectly into his didn't escape her notice either. Pushing all that from her mind she focused on her room. With that she spoke words in the ancient language.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

The world around him spun and then the next thing he knew he was standing in a room that wasn't his own. Next to him Arya stumbled and he caught her around her waist.

"Arya!" When he got her back on her feet she pushed him away only to almost drop again. He led her to her bed and sat her down. "Are you ok?"

She nodded.

"It just took a lot more out of me than I'd planned. Carrying two people is much harder than carrying just myself."

"You should've used my magic as well."

"I didn't think I'd need it."

"Well," He took her hands. "take some now."

After he'd given her some of his own strength she was able to stand again. Together they made their way through the halls of the castle. They stopped when they arrived outside the council room. Saphira pressed into his mind and he got an idea as he let her in.

"Arya, you go in the doors, I'll be in in a moment through the balcony. That way we wont have to explain anything."

She nodded and pushed into the room. He ran to the far doors and pushed them open to the night sky. Saphira, having seen what he was going to do, was waiting for him. He jumped onto her back and she flew to the next balcony. The one that belonged to the council room. Leaping onto the railing he dropped to the ground and smoothed his clothes before opening the doors. He looked around the room innocently and made his way to his seat next to Roran. Saphira hadn't spoken yet but suddenly he felt another mind enter their connection. It was Arya. Saphira spoke then.

"_So what exactly were you doing in Arya's room with her?"_

Eragon couldn't stop his cheeks from turning red and he looked across the table to find Arya shifting uncomfortably. Nasuada started talking so he was free to speak with Saphira.

"_We were late and so she transported us to the castle."_

"_To her room?"_

Eragon could tell she was messing with them. He looked at Arya again and found her frowning at him. He fought back a chuckle before telling her in her mind.

"_If you want it explained you do it yourself. I don't know why you took us to your room either."_

Arya did as he suggested.

"_It's the only place in the castle that I am comfortable with. If I knew more places then I would have taken us someplace a little more appropriate."_

He knew he shouldn't but he continued to tease her.

"_Sure you would've."_

"_Shut up, Eragon."_

An audible snort was heard around the room from the dragon outside and people shifted in their seats and looked at Eragon who was covering his face with his hand, trying to hide his smile. Nasuada frowned.

"Is your dragon. . . _laughing_?"

Eragon nodded and Orik chuckled.

"Is it about Orrin again?"

Orrin shot a glare at the dwarf and crossed his arms before turning to Eragon.

"So are you telling jokes to your dragon during a peace council? Are you bored? Because by all means we should try and make _you _happy."

Eragon shrugged.

"It wasn't me who made her laugh."

Arya, who was still in his head, sent a stab of pain and he winced, but smirked all the same. Across the table she was glaring at him. Orrin's brow furrowed.

"Then who was it?"

Eragon shrugged.

"I'm not sure."

They seemed to see that he wasn't going to tell them any more and the conversation went back to borders and how to divide the lakes. Across the table Eragon saw Islanzadi bump Arya's arm and he forced back another grin. With a frown Arya closed her mind to his and Saphira's. Saphira's amusement continued on for quite some time. An hour later they were still at it. Orrin thumped his fist against the table angrily.

"Why shouldn't you have to provide any repayment for damages caused from your raids?"

Islanzadi shrugged.

"You raided as well. You weren't so successful but you did try. This war was started by you humans and dwarves, let us not forget. You wanted more than you needed and crossed boundaries that were not yours to cross. We only attacked when attacked."

Their argument continued until Eragon had had enough of Orrin's yelling. Right in the middle of a rant Eragon sat forward in his seat and shouted angrily.

"Blothr!" (Stop!) Only Arya, Islanzadi, and the other two elves in the room understood what he'd said but the other's felt the power of his words. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "This is ridiculous. Will boundaries and old injuries matter if we're all dead? We need to unite now! Orrin, you have caused more harm than good to these meetings because you cannot let go of your anger and wounded pride. Atra mor'amr thelduin. (let peace reign) This feud must end, now."

Islanzadi nodded.

"The rider is correct. This arguing is pointless. We must come to an agreement."

Nasuada and Orik nodded but Orrin was indignant.

"This could be a trick for all we know! The elves could be working with Galbatorix, just slithering in so they can strike when our guard's down."

Arya's eyes flashed.

"Waise hljodhr!" (Be silent!)

Orrin shrunk back from her vicious glare but he didn't stop.

"I do not know what you're saying, witch!"

Eragon stood, hands planted firmly on the table so he wouldn't be tempted to dive across it and strangle Orrin.

"Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal, therr er fricai! (Upon my word as a Rider, they are friends) Do not speak such words against them again."

The elves eyes widened at his words but they stayed silent. The other's looked confused although Orik seemed to recognize some of what was said. He whistled.

"Big words, my boy. Let's hope they are true. Even if you _believe _them to be, it doesn't mean they are."

Eragon sat down and Saphira let her pride in him show. He thanked her and closed his eyes as the others changed subjects to battle strategies. After an hour they called it a night. He was about to exit to the balcony when a hand on his arm stopped him. Arya was there, with her mother behind. Islanzadi spoke first.

"You have shown great wisdom here tonight, young king. And even with the little knowledge you have of us, you still believe us to be trustworthy. It means much more than you know."

Eragon nodded.

"You have done nothing to earn my distrust. Hell, I trust you more than I do that orúm (snake) Orrin"

Arya smirked and Islanzadi smiled before bidding them goodnight. Eragon watched Arya for a moment and then offered his arm.

"May I walk you to your room?"

She hesitated before nodding and taking his elbow. Even with his sleeve in between, a spark of electricity shot through him at her touch. Eragon led her through the halls until he reached her room. She opened the door and before closing it he whispered.

"Sleep well, princess."

She offered a small smile and nodded.

"You as well, Shur'tugal. See you at nine."

With that the door closed. Eragon stood there a second too long before heading back to his own room. When he lay down and closed his eyes, her face immediately appeared and invaded his dreams.

The next morning he awoke to somebody knocking on his door. Groaning he stood and walked slowly to open it. He caught his breath when he found Arya standing before him in her leathers. Just then he realized how undressed he was. All he had on was his leggings. She seemed not to be affected accept he could see a slight pink color to her cheeks. He crossed his arms over his chest and she frowned.

"Saphira, who just went back to sleep, said you were still asleep. I thought we agreed to nine?"

"No, you _told _me nine. What time is it?"

"Nine-fifteen."

He winced.

"Sorry, just give me a second."

He walked to his closet and grabbed a loose-fitting shirt. He slipped on his shoes and then walked out, closing his door behind him. She led the way down to the gate but he stopped her.

"There's a shortcut, follow me."

He walked through the gardens, until he reached the far corner, and stopped before what appeared to be a blank wall. Pressing his hand to the stone he whispered.

"Garjzla du grind un atra eka aftaka gata." (Light the gate and let me steal passage) A door appeared before them and Eragon took her hand. She tensed and he smirked at her. "Unless you want to die, you need to be connected to me. I'll need to add you to the spell I used so you may use this door as well. Right now it's only bound to my magic."

She looked impressed and he took pride in his work as he pulled her through. The door opened onto the sandy beaches. Arya pulled her hand away quickly. Less than ten yards away was the arena. They started walking but as she past it, he stopped.

"Hang on, I need to get a sword."

She frowned.

"A warrior should have his own sword."

He shrugged.

I do but it seemed like a bad idea to have it out with so many people here."

She looked confused.

"Why is that?"

He looked down.

"Because it's a rider's sword."

Her eyes widened.

"You have a rider's sword? Whose?"

He sighed.

"I'm not exactly sure. Brom handed it to me one day. It doesn't fit me perfectly but it's closer than most swords get." Arya watched him as if he were lying. He frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Brom. . . he gave it to you?"

"Yes, so?"

"Did you have him checked?"

"What?"

"Eragon, the loss of the Riders and the dragons of old is a complete mystery. Nobody knows what happened or where their swords went. Rhunon, an elf, made them. But even the elves who were alive long enough to know can't seem to remember. It's like it was erased from everyone's mind. I think the loss of the riders is the reason our land became a divided nation. The fact that Brom had a Rider's sword. . . ."

Eragon shook his head.

"I have put my faith in you, and I need you to trust me here. You must not start trouble when there is none to be had. Brom is a good man. He has raised me like a father."

Arya seemed to consider for a moment before nodding reluctantly.

"Fine, but you might want to present your sword in one of our meetings."

"I'll think about it."

"Good."

He ran inside the arena momentarily, careful not to let anyone see him and grabbed a sword. Saphira, who'd been asleep, woke groggily and questioned his location. He sent a picture of the beach they'd been the day before and he watched her take off to meet them. Grabbing a sword he met Arya back outside. They walked the stretch of beach to where they'd been the day before and Arya unsheathed her sword. Eragon brandished his in front of him. Arya shook her head.

"There is no need for a show Eragon. You are a warrior, not an actor. In battle there will not be spectators to cheer for you. Only friend and foe. If you waste your time twirling your sword around it will allow enemies time to prepare and allies will die."

"Morbid much?"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"Just focus."

For the next hour they sparred back and forth. Well, in reality Eragon tried his best to hit her and she blocked every attempt while correcting his movements if he made a misstep. Finally he'd had enough. He needed a break. Stabbing his sword into the sand he started towards the water. She crossed her arms.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the sand.

"Going for a swim."

"Eragon."

He sighed.

"Don't you ever just have fun?"

"No. Now get back over here."

He grinned.

"Come and get me, princess."

With that he dove into the cold ocean.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

He was teasing her and despite her annoyance, she smirked. It was charming and he was quite distracting without a shirt on. He came out of the water and she wiped the smile off her face and turned away, starting to run through drills with herself. He laughed.

"Come on, Arya, enjoy the beautiful day."

It really was beautiful out. The air was warm but a slight breeze made for a wonderful mixture. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sound of the ocean was calming to her ears. For ten minutes she continued until she saw Eragon walking out of the water. She averted her gaze until he'd put his shirt on and then she got into stance. He clucked his tongue.

"All work and no play? That's just no fun."

She ignored him.

"Set your feet."

He studied her for a moment and then shrugged and picked up his sword adding,

"We'll work on your attitude later."

He was joking but it struck a nerve.

"You wont change me, Eragon."

"I didn't mean. . . oh never mind."

He got into stance and they continued their lessons for another hour.

**Also, for FtP, I have decided to write an epilogue for sure now. I'm going to post it under this profile though, so if you know others who read Forgetting the Past and are wanting closure on the story, could you just spread the word. I don't know when I'm going to write it, but I am going to.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do know that times like we have now didn't exist but everything is so much easier than going and researching the positions of the sun. So if it bugs people, I'm sorry. I'll try to do it less. And this chapter is almost kind of a filler too but it's all ExA stuff so hopefully you're ok with that. Next chapter though. . . . :) Just prepare yourself. Forgetting the Past had no plot except for that little Durza thing. That's what I meant when I said these would take time to come up with stuff to write and all. In FtP that stuff was easy to come up with. And another factor in why I take a week is college which I have just started. Lastly, when I was putting up chapters the moment I was done, people started to expect them. And when I slowed down a lot of people like got mad even though it had only been like a week. So if I set the expectation low, then I can maybe surprise you all with an early chapter instead of pissing you off by my being late. So yeah, that's why the week in between thing.**

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

By the time they finished Eragon was panting. Even the slight breeze did nothing to cool his fiery skin. Brom had never worked him so hard and for so long. His usual training sessions were forty-five minutes to and hour long and they took breaks sporadically. Now as he watched Arya sheath her sword he grew annoyed. Here he was sitting in the sand sweating like a dog and totally out of breath. And there she was, perfect hair waving in the wind without a hint of tiredness to her. She caught him frowning.

"What?"

"Why did we have to go for three hours? I'm almost dead."

"Don't be dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic!"

"You sound like a little girl."

"You _are _a little girl."

She walked toward him, hips sashaying more than necessary. She smiled down at him and he swallowed.

"Do I _look _like a little girl, Eragon?"

Eragon shook his head slowly and she smirked before turning to walk away. He didn't know why he did it. Really, there wasn't a thought process as he stuck his foot out, catching her ankle. It didn't end how he suspected though. The moment his foot touched her ankle she lifted it and then dug it into the sand before flicking it at him. The grainy mineral sprayed him in the face, entering his mouth and eyes before he could close them. He choked a little and spit, trying to get it out.

His eyes were closed but when he opened them Arya was gone. He turned towards the gate and saw she'd almost gotten there. He started to head towards her when she turned back around. With her was Annabel. A smile split his face as they approached him. When they were close he smirked at Arya.

"I should've known."

She frowned.

"Should've known what?"

"That you would end up training her. That's why you were so intrigued by her skills."

Arya shrugged.

"A talent like hers shouldn't go to waste."

Eragon turned his attention to Annabel.

"You want this?"

She nodded excitedly and he fought back a laugh.

"Ok, well, I'm going to go put this sword-" He paused and looked at her. "actually, since you're going to train with Arya, you will need one. Take mine."

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Something flashed in the girl's eyes when he said it that caught Arya's attention. A Giddy burst of . . something. She frowned and looked closer but the emotion was gone. Shaking her head, she watched as Annabel took the sword from Eragon and turn towards her. As she readied her guard, she couldn't help but watch him walk away. Pushing Eragon from her mind, she turned to Anna.

"You ready?" Anna nodded and Arya studied the girl's lax stance and sheathed her sword. "It looks like we need to start with the basics."

For the next forty minutes she showed Annabel the basics in footwork, how to adapt to certain situations, when to press and when to back away and gain her bearings. The speed at which the girl learned was impressive even to Arya and soon they were getting into more difficult patterns of movement. And unlike Eragon, the girl didn't complain in the least although Arya could tell she was getting tired. She could see Anna's relief when Arya sheathed her sword with finality.

"That's enough for today, Annabel. You did well."

"Thank yo-"

A roar split the air and they both looked up to see Saphira soaring out over the ocean. On her back was Eragon, arms spread wide, wind blowing his hair and clothing. They circled above them before suddenly Eragon jumped off. Anna gasped but Arya watched silently, curious to see what he'd do. As he dropped, Saphira closed her wings and went into a dive, hurtling faster than he. Eragon was twenty feet from the ground when Saphira finally reached him. Maneuvering under him allowed Eragon to land on her back. At ten feet Saphira's wings shot out, buffeting both her and Anna with air and sand sprinkled their ankles.

The dragon shot out over the ocean and then turned, coming towards them. Saphira landed a few yards away and Eragon leapt off her back, a smile on his face, and strode forward. He stopped a couple feet away and looked at them expectantly.

"What'd you think?"

Anna smiled and nodded.

"That was brilliant, Eragon."

He smirked and looked at Arya. When he saw her expression he frowned.

"What's with the disappointed look? Not good enough for you?"

She shook her head.

"That was stupid Eragon. To do something so risky for no reason but to pleasure yourself? Irresponsible."

He sighed and held out his hand.

"Come on, it's time you had some fun. Let your hair down." He paused and then shook his head. "Put it up, actually. You don't want all that getting tangled."

She furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean."

"Take my hand, Arya."

"No. What are we doing?"

He watched her carefully.

"How would you like to ride on a dragon?"

Her eyes widened and she couldn't fully hide the shock that ran through her.

"You would allow that of me?"

"Well, I cannot allow anything. It's up to Saphira so you have to ask nicely. But she seems to have an affinity for you so you should be fine."

She stared at him for a second more before nodding, her hand finding his. Again, the feel of his fingers in her own was comforting. He started to turn but quickly smiled at Anna.

"How was it?"

Annabel grinned.

"Good, She's an excellent teacher."

He frowned teasingly.

"To you, maybe."

Anna laughed and Arya's eyes narrowed. There was definitely something there but again, it disappeared before she could get a read on it. Eragon smiled and waved.

"See you tomorrow Anna!"

With that he started off in a jog, dragging her behind him. They stopped in front of Saphira and even then Eragon didn't seem in any rush to drop her hand. He spoke to Saphira for a moment and then she felt a pressure at her mind. Blocking her memories and feelings she opened to Saphira and Eragon. Saphira spoke first.

"_You wish to fly with me?"_

"_If you will allow it." _

The dragon didn't respond for a moment. Then finally, she nodded her huge head and crouched to the ground. Eragon let her hand go and climbed up quickly. He looked at her expectantly and grinned.

"Come on."

Although she didn't show it, she was nervous. And excited. And just in shock that she was about to ride a dragon. She jumped up and settled behind Eragon, keeping as much distance as possible. But the moment Saphira jumped, the momentum pushed her into him and to keep her balance she spanned her hands on his waist. His muscles tensed at the contact before he rolled his shoulders, relaxing his body and making everything a little less awkward. The uncomfortable moment was replaced by the incredible sensation of flying. Saphira banked to the left and down, the wind catching Arya's hair.

They flew at random for a while. Arya couldn't guess how long because she was too busy reveling in the experience. Suddenly Eragon turned around and when he saw her he laughed.

"I knew you'd love this."

She was confused until she realized she had a grin on her face. She hadn't even realized it before now. Arya nodded and looked towards the ocean a few miles away because when he'd turned, she'd noticed just how close they were, his face only inches from hers. It had to be around three and the sun was high in the sky and the rays were heating her skin. It felt good and up here, she didn't have to worry about anything. She looked forward to find Eragon still watching her, his eyes clouded with some emotion she couldn't seem to fathom. He blushed and looked down. When his head raised again, his eyes were clear.

"We should probably get back soon." She nodded but apparently he saw her disappointment before she could mask it. He smiled. "Tomorrow, if you are awake early enough, you may come with us to watch the sunrise."

His eyes searched hers as she debated whether to say yes. Finally, she nodded and he smirked, making her want to take it back out of annoyance. He turned forward and Saphira headed for the castle. When they landed on her balcony Arya stood and jumped down. Eragon waved.

"See you tonight!"

She watched them disappear around a corner of the castle and then walked into her room. It had been incredible. The feeling of flying through the air, the breeze playing past her ears and Eragon- She shook her head, ignoring how it'd felt to be up there with just him. In his element, her hands curled into the back of his shirt in order to keep her balance. It had been freeing. She walked to her bed and laid down, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep, but not really wanting to do anything else.

She settled for closing her eyes and laying there in silence, trying to keep old memories from barraging her mind. Even as she tried, his face returned. _They were in her house in Ellesmera. He was was grinning at her and she shoved at his chest. He laughed and danced out of range, still poking fun at her for something she'd done. When she came at him again, he snatched her wrist and pulled her against him, strong arms holding her in place. She laughed._

"_Faolin!"_

Arya started out if her memory and pressed her arm over her eyes, trying to force him away. She stood and walked to her closet, pulling on a dark blue gown with golden embroidery. Changing, she walked to the mirror and fixed herself up before heading out the door. She wasn't late for dinner, but she was bordering on it. As she walked into the dining hall, people were milling around, speaking and laughing. Her mother fixed her with an annoyed glare and Arya sighed. Turning, she found Eragon.

He was standing tall a few yards away, speaking with Orrin. His body was tense, as if barely controlling his rage or whatever was coursing through him. She studied him as he countered something Orrin said. His jaw was strong and as he spoke, she could see it clench and unclench in anger. His wavy, short brown hair was smoothed into a barely controlled style, and his eyes, chocolate brown, were glaring coldly at Orrin. He glanced her direction and warmth filled his gaze as he took her in. He excused himself, ignoring Orrin's protest, and made his way over.

"Arya."

"Eragon."

"You look beautiful."

She smiled.

"Thank you. What was he complaining about this time?"

Eragon frowned.

"He says the lower town doesn't need as many patrols as the upper town because only peasants live there. He says our focus should be the upper city and the castle. Idiot."

"He is that."

Eragon shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject.

"Saphira has given her permission for you to see through her eyes in the sky, if you wish."

Arya's eyes widened.

"Truly?"

He nodded and grinned.

"It'll be weird at first but seeing from a dragon's perspective is incredible and totally worth the uncomfortableness that passes quickly."

"Than-"

A scepter banged twice and everyone made their way to their seats. Arya didn't exactly know if he wanted her to sit by him so as he started to move, she turned to go by her mother. Eragon turned and smiled, holding out his arm.

"Care to sit with me?"

She smirked and nodded, taking his forearm and following him to the table. This time she was by him and on her other side, was Nasuada. This was the first time she'd actually had the opportunity to speak with her but she didn't really want to be the one to start the conversation. It wasn't out of nervousness, but tact. She didn't know anything about this woman and so speaking first would be like going into a building blind, not knowing the layout. Luckily Eragon was pulled into a conversation by Roran and he didn't distract her concentration.

So for the next ten minutes she listened to Nasuada talk to Orik, who was beside her. In that time she learned that the queen was very down to earth. She cared for the lives of her people and wished the peace treaty to go well. She also heard Nasuada discuss Orrin's stubborn mind. How to get him on board. After that Arya focused on her meal, waiting for the right moment. Before it came, Nasuada turned to her.

"I felt that after you were done eavesdropping you would talk with me but did I not pass your test?"

Arya fought back a surprised chuckle. This lady was smart.

"Surprisingly you did pass. But now I wonder if it was all just an act. If you knew I was listening, you could've said anything to try to please me. And may I ask, how _did _you know I was listening?"

"You're an elf, your ears allow you to hear even the quietest whisper. There was little chance of you not hearing us. And I would've done the same if you'd spoken at all so I just went with my gut instinct."

"Impressed."

"Thank you."

"So is Orrin going to cause problems tonight?"

Nasuada shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He's usually rational but his best friend was killed in an attack on Ellesmera and he never got over it. He's finally getting the opportunity to lash out and he's taking it. Hopefully he'll realize the situation soon."

"If he doesn't I think Eragon will end up punching him."

Nasuada laughed.

"He does seem to get on the young King's nerves."

"Very much so."

Nasuada hesitated and Arya had a feeling she knew what she was going to ask. She was right.

"This marriage. . . are you ok with it?"

"Rather personal question, isn't it?"

Nasuada shrugged.

"I just know I don't think I could do it."

"If it had been the only option, you would've."

"Why is this the only option for you?"

"As you said, many men died by our hand and so their trust in us is slim. This is proof that we mean no more harm."

"Many will think it's a ploy to win over the castle."

"Many will. I will just need to win them over in time. It's the only way."

"Well, at least Eragon is a good man. You could've been stuck with a prick."

Arya chuckled.

"Eragon can be a prick."

Nasuada smirked.

"But isn't all royalty?"

Arya was about to respond when Eragon cut in.

"You realize that I can hear you? And I am not a prick."

Nasuada grinned and Arya smirked at Eragon.

"I do realize that, yes. In fact, I raised my voice so you'd be able to hear me better. And face it Eragon, you can be a prick."

He crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip.

"That's not very nice."

"Are you seriously pouting at me?"

He grinned cheekily then.

"Yes, I've been told it's adorable."

"Whoever said that lied. You look like a child throwing a tantrum."

Eragon laughed.

"That's what it's supposed to look like my dear Princess."

Eragon looked to Nasuada who seemed amused.

"Don't you think I'm adorable?"

Nasuada looked at him a little disbelievingly.

"You are so improper."

Eragon shrugged and leaned back into his chair.

"Who cares about that kind of thing? Does it really matter? It's so much more fun to just relax and not act like a stuck up, mightier-than-though, ass."

Arya found herself smiling and he took that as approval. Nasuada shook her head but Arya could see her lips twitching in hidden amusement. The rest of dinner they talked amongst themselves and when it was over, they headed back to their chambers to relax before the meeting.

"But if you take soldiers from our border we'll be more vulnerable!"

Arya watched annoyed as Orrin ranted about soldier placement. Across the table, she could see Eragon was about to fall asleep. They'd been at this for hours, talking strategy and dispersion. The Treaty was to be signed in two days time and they'd all agreed to it, but if Orrin kept causing disruption to these meetings she didn't know if it'd all work. Eragon caught her eyes and rolled his own, motioning to Orrin. She smirked and turned back to the conversation as Nasuada tried to explain everything.

"Orrin, the soldiers would still be between you and Galbatorix's army. You'd be just as protected."

Orrin humphed and crossed his arms. They called it a night a few minutes later and Eragon offered to walk her to her room. She turned when they reached it and he grinned at her.

"Well wasn't that just the most fun you've ever had?"

She leaned against the doorframe.

"I almost used a spell to shut Orrin up but I feel like that would only make him hate us more."

"Probably, but it would've been worth it to see his face."

"Maybe."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, holding there longer than she thought was necessary. When he moved away he looked at her and grinned.

"Are you blushing?"

She frowned. She didn't blush. What the hell was wrong with her?

"No. Eragon, I don't blush."

"You were totally blushing!"

"You're seeing things that you wished were there. Good night, Eragon."

He smiled and shrugged.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess."

She turned and slammed the door in his face and heard his laugh as he walked away. Forcing away a grin, she changed and climbed into the bed. She'd only lain there for a few minutes before the memories assaulted her again right where they'd left off earlier.

_She looked up at him, trying to keep an annoyed look on her face even as he leaned down to kiss her. Last minute she ducked out of his arms and danced away. As she was almost out of reach his hand shot out and caught hers, linking theirs together. And then something happened she didn't expect. When she looked up she met the chocolate brown eyes of Eragon. There was something in them that terrified her. A warmth, a devotion that seemed more than friendship. Reaching her rand out, she brushed her knuckles across his cheek-_.Arya sat up in shock. _What the hell was that? _She pushed her hand through her hair and then rested her head on it. She wasn't supposed to feel anything and here she was dreaming about him. Sighing, she laid back down and tried to get back to sleep but it was to no avail.

She was exhausted but her brain and nerves were on edge and wouldn't allow her into her waking dreams. Finally she stood, changed into her leathers, and walked to the balcony. There was a chilly breeze so early in the morning but it felt good at that moment. It cleared her head enough to think. She sat down and leaned against the stones, the coolness seeping through her clothing. She didn't know how long she'd sat there when she heard the flapping of wings. _Damn. _She thought about just going inside and pretending she wasn't awake but part of her didn't want to. Not just because flying was incredible, but some part of her subconscious wanted to fly with _him_.

So she stayed where she was, waiting. When Saphira landed on her balcony, Eragon jumped down and walked over to her, a worried look on his face.

"You ok? You look tired."

She smirked.

"That's an understatement."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that."

He held out both of his hands to help her stand and she took them, immediately feeling comforted. He pulled her up and then dropped her hands, studying her.

"We can do this another morning, Arya. Maybe you should go lay down."

She shrugged.

"It's not like that would help. I'd rather fly."

He nodded and ran up Saphira's leg, Arya following behind him. He sat at the back of the saddle, and motioned for her to sit in front of him. She frowned and he sighed.

"Arya, you need to sit in front of me if your going to see through Saphira's eyes. You wont be able to keep yourself up and if your behind me I wont be able to catch you if you fall."

Arya rolled her eyes and sat in front of him. When Saphira took off she held tightly to the saddle, not wanting to fall into Eragon. They rose above the highest towers of the castle and Arya saw the small light coming from the rising sun. Suddenly Eragon's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his chest. She tensed and tried to pull away but he held her in place.

"Arya, relax. I'm making sure you don't fall. Have a little trust."

Slowly, she relaxed her body as he led her through the process of entering the dragon's mind.

**This chapter wasn't Beta'd so any more mistakes than usual is all on me lol.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok so I've decided that I'm going to put the answers to questions from reviews at the end of the chapter because I've also decided to address the person who wrote them. I feel like I confuse people maybe when I just list off answers because idk if all of you even read the other people's reviews. Oh, and I will have the third chapter of "The Flip of a Coin" up soon, I just haven't quite finished it yet. Also, and this will be of no interest to anyone who doesn't watch Castle, it comes back this fricken month and there's a promo out and I'm dying inside. A lot of shows are coming back this month, actually. Btw, I know this chapter is short, but there wasn't really much else I could add. And this might not be as exciting as you thought but I promise next week will be.**

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

When she went limp against him, he resisted the urge to pull her closer, tighten his arms, and hold her. For some reason this woman was getting under his skin and it was getting harder to hide. Saphira dove down and out across the forest near the castle before turning back and heading for the ocean. Arya was in Saphira's head for almost fifteen minutes before she returned to herself. For some reason, he didn't let her go, his arms still wrapped around her waist. She seemed to struggle with herself before she did something very unexpected.

She shifted closer, dropping her head back onto his shoulder. He was about to comment but changed his mind. Not wanting to upset her and make her move away. Instead he asked,

"What did you think?"

"Amazing."

Her voice was tired, almost a whisper and it made him shiver slightly. The sun was up now, the heat from it warming their bodies.

"You want to return to your rooms?"

This time her voice was barely audible.

"No. . ."

He was about to speak again when Saphira reprimanded him

"_She's trying to sleep!"_

"_How was I to know?"_

"_Why else would she allow you to be so near?"_

He smirk.

"_I am rather irresistible." _Saphira snorted and he sent her an image of him frowning._ "You know it to be true."_

"_You wish, Eragon."_

"_How long do you suppose we should let her sleep?"_

"_I'm not sure. Are you going to wake her for training?"_

"_I don't want to but then she'll just suggest I did it purposefully to get out of training."_

"_How long until?"_

"_Two hours."_

"_She also has to train Anna. . ."_

He trailed off as an earlier worry returned. Saphira sighed.

"_You probably should tell her."_

"_But it's been over for months. Before I'd even met Arya. We parted as friends."_

"_Arya is too smart not to figure it out. Would you rather tell her or let her discover it and lose her trust?"_

"_But it's not important anymore. It's over. She's not telling me anything about her past. Why do I have to tell her about mine?"_

"_You're not in her home, around people who've known her and can tell you things. And the fact that Annabel is being trained by her is another thing."_

"_But it's not like Anna will tell her."_

"_You can't know anything. And I feel that Annabel may still like you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Watch her eyes next time, Eragon. Arya noticed it too."_

"_Why didn't you tell me!"_

"_Relax. Arya didn't catch on. But she knows something is up. I'm just saying be careful and do the right thing."_

"_I'll think about it. Now can we just fly for a while, it's a gorgeous day."_

Saphira seemed amused.

"_Sure. _That's_ why you want to fly. It has nothing to do with the fact that the elf is in your arms?"_

"_Shut up, Saphira."_

Saphira chuckled.

"_I thought so."_

So they flew for over an hour with Eragon holding tightly to Arya. Her head turned and tucked under his chin, making his breath hitch. She smelled like crushed pine needles and with her this close, it was intoxicating. He closed his eyes and breathed her in a they flew. When nine came around he was debating whether to wake her when she shifted. She mumbled something under her breath and then started, pulling away quickly. He grabbed her arm to keep her from falling from Saphira's back.

"You're safe. Relax."

"What time is it?"

"Nine."

She turned sharply.

"You had no right to keep me with you."

He was confused.

"Wait, what? You fell asleep. How is that my fault?"

"That isn't. Letting me sleep just so you can do as you please is completely your fault."

He grew angry.

"Are you serious? You think so little of me?"

"You are a man, are you not?"

He sighed, exasperated.

"Of course. Because all men are alike." He shook his head. "Even if I was one of those men, we are on a _dragon_. If not trust in my respect, at least use logic. Saphira would never allow that."

Arya was silent for a moment.

"We need to train."

"Yes. But only if you feel safe, _princess_."

He was mocking her and he knew she knew it. Instead of responding she stayed silent as Saphira flew towards the sand. They were almost there when a growl ripped through the air. Eragon and Aryas' heads turned just a a blood red shape emerged from the clouds in front of them. Eragon's heart dropped to his stomach when he realized exactly what it was.

The dragon was still above the clouds so nobody below could see him. And then, somebody stood from upon the dragons back. He had midnight black hair and the cold eyes pierced his own. A shiver passed through Eragon as a shadow of recognition and a memory hit him.

"_Eragon! Stop it! Dad, Eragon wont stop hitting me with his stupid new wooden sword!"_

Everything was blurred, the surroundings, the people. But it was all so . . . familiar. Another voice spoke, one he recognized. Even then, he couldn't see the face.

"_Eragon, leave your brother be."_

"_I'm not hitting him that hard. He just wont fight me back."_

_A small boy walked over and shoved him to the ground._

"_That's because I'm older and I'm supposed to be the bigger man." _

_A familiar chuckle. . ._

Arya elbowed his stomach, shaking him from his mind. In front of them the man's eyes had suddenly become clouded. In his mind Saphira spoke.

"_What was that?"_

"_I don't know. Something. . . from my childhood. . ."_

"_You had a brother?"_

"_I don't. . . I don't know."_

Arya spoke.

"Eragon, what is this?"

"How would I know?"

She frowned as they continued to watch the red rider. When the man shook his head, his eyes cleared and anger filled them. He spoke.

"Young rider, King. And who is this lovely woman? Somebody you court?"

Eragon tensed along with Arya. He spoke first.

"I feel that this isn't the most important factor right now. Who are you?"

"Me? Well I don't feel that's important either. Do you?"

"Why are you here? And how have you come to be a Rider?"

The man laughed and a sneer distorted his face.

"Again with the pointless questions. I am not here to exchange pleasantries."

Arya spoke finally.

"Then why are you here?"

The man grinned.

"The beauty speaks. Well my dear, this is just a scope of the castle. I wasn't meant to make contact but of course, with your appearance in the sky, how could I help myself?"

Eragon frowned.

"You tell us your plans as if you think we wont stop you."

The rider laughed.

"I tell you my plans because I know you _can't_ stop me."

Eragon smirked.

"You face off against a Rider and an Elf and you think you can best us?"

"I _know _I can best you." Without warning the man shouted out across the sky. "Jierda du skulblaka fethr!" (Break the dragon's wings!)

Saphira's roar split the air as her wings snapped in several places. Eragon gritted his teeth as he felt her pain and Arya leaned close to yell over the roaring wind as they fell to the earth.

"Heal the left wing!"

He nodded and started the process of healing his dragon's bones. They were in sight of the castle when they finally fixed her wings. She flapped up with a furious roar and aimed for the place the dragon had been. Anger ripped through Eragon that another rider would harm his dragon so. He was ready to rip the man apart when they returned to the place but he was gone into the clouds. He felt betrayed. Not just because this rider had attacked them, but for some reason he couldn't even fathom. He yelled angrily.

"Brisingr eyydr du vindr!" (Fire empty the air!)

Fire scorched the clouds away around them and he felt himself getting weaker but continued anyway. His eyesight dimmed and he felt Saphira shout through their connection but he blocked her. Suddenly Arya grabbed his face, pulling his attention to her.

"Eragon, stop! Stop. He's gone."

He stared into her emerald eyes and sucked in air, trying to clear the fog in his brain. As he released the spell, she watched him, her hands still curled in his hair and her thumb brushed along his jaw soothingly, trying to calm him. She had turned in the saddle in order to grab his attention and now their knees were touching, their faces a foot apart. Even then, he had trouble controlling his rage. Finally, when he'd relaxed a bit, he ran his shaking hand through his hair.

"We need to report this. You're mind is stronger, can you contact everyone and have them meet us in the council room?"

Arya nodded, dropped her hands and bent her head, concentrating. It took her almost five minutes to contact all the rulers and convince them who she was so they'd open their minds to her. In that time he spoke to Saphira. By the time they arrived at the balcony and stepped in the council room, everyone was there. Worried lines covered their faces and Eragon and Arya stood before them. Since anger still consumed Eragon, Arya started to explain.

"Eragon and I were in the air, flying towards the beach to train, when a red dragon appeared before us." Gasps went around the room and people started talking at once. After a moment Arya shushed them. "Open your minds, I'm going to show you what happened."

They looked at her warily until everyone but Orrin had allowed her in. She looked at him.

"This is no time for your stubborn hatred. Open your mind."

"I will not allow my mind to be subjected to you."

She was about to continue without him when Eragon spoke.

"You fool. Even in this, you distance yourself from the elves. It is not hatred, but fear that keeps you from opening to Arya. How do all your people respect such a coward?"

Orrin's face reddened and he stood as well, pulling his sword.

"Coward? Fight me then, sword master."

Eragon's eyes grew deadly and it seemed with his anger the air became heated, the room darker.

"Eldrvarya du sverd." (Melt the sword)

In front of everyone, Orrin's sword dripped into a pool of metal, burning the shocked King and making him shout in pain. Before anyone could speak Eragon did.

"Open your mind to her or leave the room because we'll have no further use for you here. Surda may defend itself."

Orrin looked around, trying to find somebody on his side, but nobody was. Some had surprised faces at Eragon's boldness but they all were tired of Orrin's stupidity. He shot Eragon a look of hatred and then swallowed every single ounce of pride and opened his mind to Arya. When she started, Eragon noticed all her emotions were blocked and she started at the point the dragon roared, not before, when they were talking. As it played through he grew even angrier at the riders every word. When he broke Saphira's wings he clenched his hands into fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms and bled. Even though the others couldn't feel Saphira's pain, many exclaimed their horror. As they fell and healed her, many expressed their relief. He thought she would cut it off there but Arya continued.

So everyone saw when he yelled out his spell and flames raged about the blue dragon and spread like a wildfire, the clouds sizzling away. And then she cut it off. He returned to his own mind and looked around the room to find respect on everyone's face if a bit of wariness. He saw then why Arya had done it. It was the same reason she'd fought him. To prove his power. This elf was brilliant. Orik spoke.

"I think it is time we signed this peace treaty. We need to start preparing for battle."

The process took an hour. Part to decide the terms and then to write it up. When it came time to sign, Eragon went first. Followed by The elves, then the dwarves, next was Nasuada. Lastly was Orrin. When they'd all signed, it was bound by magic and they all stood, shaking hands.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She looked at Eragon who'd sat down sometime during the last hour and saw him drop his head into his hands, exhausted. She stood.

"For today, let us post sentries and set more guards to the gates. We all need to get some rest so we may think clearly. Eragon looked at her gratefully and as everyone stood to leave, he walked over.

"Thank you."

"We're all a little tired."

"Of course." He hesitated before questioning, "Would you like me to accompany you to the beach?"

"What for?"

"Well, you told Anna you would train her. I feel we should explain to her what happened and you can jut bow out for today. Or if your up to it you can train her, I guess."

She nodded, not exactly wanting to leave him yet.

"Sure."

"Saphira can fly us."

She agreed and they stepped out to the balcony nearest to them. Saphira arrived moments later. When he jumped up and sat in the front she had an irrational desire to have him hold her like he'd done earlier. His muscled form supporting her body as she drifted to sleep. It had felt perfect and it scared her more than she'd admit to anyone, even herself. When she settled behind him, she even allowed herself to curl her fingers into his shirt and rested her forehead in the space between his shoulder blades. She explained it with tiredness. When they arrived at the beach, Anna was waiting in the sand.

"What time is it?"

"A little past noon."

Saphira landed in the sand and Arya jumped down to explain to Anna. When she looked behind her she saw Eragon walking into the water. She debated whether to join him and then excused herself, saying she was too tired to train although it wasn't true, and walked towards the rider in the water. She rolled up her leggings and stepped into the cool liquid next to him.

"Something is bothering you, Eragon."

He shrugged.

"So?"

"What is it?"

He chuckled, pushing his hand through his hair roughly.

"It's stupid."

"What is?"

"When I saw that rider, part of me hoped that I wasn't alone in this. That he'd fight with me against Galbatorix. I don't know. . . It's just. . . so much is on my shoulders that it would be nice to share the burden with somebody."

"That isn't stupid, Eragon. You do have a lot depending on you, I understand."

"Now I just feel a fool."

"You shouldn't. That crossed my mind as well."

He sighed.

"And not that it matters, but I had this . . . .flashback."

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I. . .I remembered something from my past. Or maybe it was just my imagination. I don't know. . ."

"What was it?"

"I'd rather show it to you. It's hard to explain."

She hesitated before opening her mind to his. The memory that played out made her smile because he would probably do the same now even at this age. She didn't understand why this was so weird. When she asked he frowned.

"You haven't heard of my past?"

"No, what is it?"

"That's just it. I don't have one. I don't have a brother. I don't have a father. Garrow has had me since I was three and yet there, I was at least six."

Arya's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I recognized that voice."

"I did too, but I can't place it."

"When did you get the flashback?"

"When I saw the other Rider."

Arya frowned.

"What does that mean?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know. Let's just . . .forget about it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

They were silent for a moment before she felt his hand slip into hers. She didn't realize what he was doing until she was in the water, having been yanked with him as he dove down. She came up and looked around wanting to punch him in the face because now her clothes and hair were soaked through. When he finally did come up, he was ten feet away and grinning ear to ear.

"I thought we needed a tension reliever."

She frowned at him.

"I didn't."

He shrugged and dove back under the water. When he came up again he was right in front of her. His hands settled on her waist.

"Have some fun, Arya."

She leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Do you want to know what I think is fun?"

Eragon grinned and she smirked back just as she shoved his chest, sending him flying back into the water. With that she turned and walked out onto the sand. She dried herself off with magic and headed towards the castle. She was almost out of earshot when she heard Eragon call Annabel, who was still on the beach with Saphira, to get in with him. She turned in time to see him splash her and her giggle like it was the greatest thing on earth. She frowned and had to turn away when he grabbed Anna around the waist and threw her into the water. For some reason it bugged her more than it should've.

She walked the path up to the castle and through the streets and headed up to her room.

**My Generation: **I've only ever gotten one negative review, and it wasn't really all that negative I don't think. The person just said I put too many of my experiences in my story. And your review wasn't negative either. It was constructive criticism which is what I need. You were right about the chapter not having much plot development either. So no need to worry.

**Silverwing: **It will all come in time, I have it planned already too. I would tell you but then I'd ruin it. And what was that poem from? Did you write it yourself?

**HelloTheir: **Hehehe ;)

**Elemental Dragon Slayer: **More Faolin flashbacks in the future.

**Mattchew Inheritance: **Angela will definitely be in it, but idk about Trianna yet.

**Dracones: **I just wanted to give you props for almost guessing what was happening with Anna and Eragon.

**Dessert Maniac: "**I've heard it both ways." (Anyone get my Psych quote? No? Ok, I'll stop being a nerd haha)

**Ok, if you all don't like this way of my answering, I'll just go back to the other way I was doing it. I just thought this might be easier. And I'm only going to answer questions here so, yeah. Till next Friday. . . . **


	7. Chapter 7

**OH MY GOSH. CASTLE IN NINE DAYS. IMMA DIE FROM THE WAITING. Ok, so here's this chapter, hope you all enjoy.**

She hadn't seen him the rest of the day and when dinner came round, she avoided him as best she could. She didn't want to face the fact that she felt more than she should. How could she feel for him when he was so very young?_ But those eyes. . ._ She shook her head clear and moved through the crowds till she found her mother. When dinner came she stayed next to her as they sat. Of course, across from them, was Eragon. He grinned at her and she smiled politely back, very aware of her mom's eyes on her. Through the meal she kept up conversation with her and avoided any more contact with Eragon.

They were standing to leave when Eragon motioned her towards the outside doors. Biting back a sigh she walked to the balcony leading off the dining hall and waited impatiently. Finally, he arrived and settled against the railing near her.

"Have I offended you, Arya?"

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her, frustrated.

"Well you wont speak with me at all."

"We haven't had a chance until now."

Eragon smirked.

"We might've if you hadn't been playing hide and seek. Ducking around people and slipping away every time I tried to find you."

She faked a disinterested laugh.

"I feel that you might be exaggerating a tad, Eragon."

He shrugged.

"Maybe. But are you still angry that I dunked you under?. . . . Or is it. . something else?"

She looked at him with false ignorance.

"Something else?"

He looked down awkwardly and then shifted to his left, away from her.

"Anna. . . ."

Her body tensed in response but she relaxed it immediately, sure he hadn't seen. She waited for him to continue but he never did. Finally after a few moments she turned to ask what he'd been planning to say, but froze when she saw his face. He wasn't paying her any attention, his eyes dead focused on a spot far off in the distance. Eragon was squinting slightly, as if trying to see something better. She turned to look and saw what had caught his attention. The trees that surrounded the North side of the castle were rustling slightly. It would be undetectable from anywhere but up high, as they could see the reflections from the light of the moon.

She watched carefully, her elven sight allowing her to look much closer, and panic rose at what she saw. Catapults were being pushed through the trees, towards the walls. Her hand clamped tightly on Eragon's arm and she forced him to look at her.

"Eragon, gather your Generals and have them prepare for battle." He looked dazed and she shook him slightly. "Eragon! This is the moment in which you must step forward. Prepare your men to fight!"

He sucked in a breath and nodded, holding her eyes for a moment before he took off inside the castle, shouting for his guards. Arya closed her mind and contacted her mother.

"_Arya, what is it you need?"_

"_We're under attack, siege weapons are being transported through the woods to the North. We need to gather the elves who accompanied us. I must warn the others."_

A somewhat shocked tone pressed Arya's mind but her mother agreed, cutting their connection as she walked into the hall.

Soon, the whole castle was awake as guards and foot soldiers traveled to people's homes and pulled the off duty warriors from their beds. Families were told to grab their necessities and move to the inner courtyard. Arya went to the armory and found hundreds of men coming in and then leaving, all decked from head to toe in their armor. She found Nasuada near the back. Along with Orik, Eragon, and Orrin. When she stepped beside them Nasuada called for a soldier.

"Find another suit of armor for the Princess."

The man nodded but Arya shook her head.

"I do not require it. Thank you though, for your consideration, Nasuada."

Orrin, who was beside her, was covered in chain mail and a boy was fitting his steel plated suit over. Once he was done, he turned to Arya, offering a hand.

"I would like to offer you my apology, Princess. My actions have been unacceptable and I am sorry that it took this conflict to realize it."

She nodded her head and accepted, before turning to find Orik addressing three of the sixty dwarves that had arrived with him. Lastly, she turned to Eragon, who was straight across from her. His entire body seemed to be shaking and she stepped forward, taking his clammy hands in her own. She didn't understand why he was so terrified.

"Eragon, you've been through battles before."

He clenched his jaw, looking away.

"Yes, but the lives of thousands were not relying upon my skill as a leader. The most I ever patrolled and fought with was one hundred. Arya. . . . what if I can't do this?"

Her heart squeezed tightly and without knowing exactly what she was doing, she leaned up and kissed his forehead. Her fingers settled on his cheeks as she looked him in the eyes.

"Eragon, you are a natural leader. And you are a dragon rider. Saphira's presence alone will boost the morale of your men."

He watched her, his eyes not hiding anything as she stared into their chocolate brown depths. Up close she could see specks of gold lighting them and a darker brown rimmed the outside. He took a breath and nodded just as a soldier approached with news from the walls. Eragon took one last look at her and then moved on with his duties. Having already retrieved her sword from her room, the only thing to do now was wait for the coming of dawn.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

As he stood atop the castle walls a plan came to him. From what he could see, the enemy didn't know they'd been spotted. Reaching out with his mind he brushed Arya's. Knowing his touch, she opened to him immediately.

"_They don't know we're here. How many men do we have?"_

"_Just over five thousand."_

"_And horses?"_

"_Around three hundred. What are you thinking, Eragon?"_

"_We should flank them. Send a hundred out on each side and wait for them to commence battle. Then ambush them from the back."_

"_It's all good in theory, but we have no idea how many men they have. Or where they're placed."_

Eragon let her feel his frustration. He rubbed his hand over his face and tried to think of a way to work it out.

"_I could send out scouts."_

"_And risk the enemy knowing that we have spotted them?"_

He slammed his hand into the stone, immediately regretting it as pain shot up his entire arm. Ayra's amusement annoyed him.

"_See! I shouldn't be the one making these decisions! If you weren't here I'd have gotten people killed. You should just lead."_

Her tone became serious.

"_Do not doubt yourself, Eragon. Ever. Your ideas are good, just dangerous. Risky. Especially since we know nothing of the size of their force or where they're located."_

"_So, what? We just sit here till dawn waiting for the attack to come to us?"_

"_For now, we wait. Plans may change in the coming hours."_

Eragon hesitated before asking her something. Finally, he spoke.

"_Arya. . . will you ride with me?"_

She seemed taken aback but kept her mind calm.

"_If you wish."_

"_I do."_

"_Where is Saphira?"_

"_The dwarves brought a gift of dragon armor for the treaty and they're equipping her now. Even then, she will stay on the ground so as not to alert the enemy."_

"_Smart. Eragon I must go. My mother wishes to speak with me."_

Their connection was severed and he continued his walk of the wall, acting like any other guard. The night was growing cooler and humid, dew appearing on many of the surfaces. Two hours later, still in the dead of night, he walked down to the crowd of soldiers below. They watched him, their faces a blend of worry, fear, anxiety, and in some, excitement. His stomach roiled in protest to their eyes on him and he sucked in a breath. Saphira spoke to him.

"_Eragon, they need your reassurance."_

"_I can't yell out a speech in the dead of night, Saphira. The enemy could catch wind."_

"_Obviously. Just stop looking like a scared infant."_

He took offense.

"_I do not look like an infant."_

"_Sure, Eragon."_

Ignoring her, Eragon motioned for one of his Generals. The man he'd known from childhood walked over swiftly.

"Eragon."

"Baldor. I need you to prepare our archers. Have them move in groups of twenty, three minutes apart, until they have lined the walls. Tell them to keep their heads down and not be seen."

"Of course."

He moved away and started motioning for soldiers armed with bows to move up to the walls. It was only an hour from dawn and it was time to prepare for war.

The clouds lightened in color as the sun shone through them and Eragon climbed up onto Saphira. Moments later, he caught glimpse of Arya's lithe body moving rapidly towards him. With a jump, she settled in behind him. Arya looked around them at the soldiers preparing for attack.

"Do you have the magicians spaced along the walls with the archers?"

"Yes."

"Are soldiers prepared to fill in the spaces when their comrades die?"

He looked at her.

"Rather morbid, isn't it?"

"It's war, Eragon."

He sighed.

"So I've noticed."

Tensions grew as the sunlit the sky, shedding the first ray of light upon the dark earth. The damp air around them warmed into a humid breeze. Saphira's armor of bronze and gold shimmered although the sun had not fully risen. In final preparation, Eragon set wards around himself and his dragon, along with a few on Arya. Roran came running up to them then.

"Eragon, I've just been at the walls. From the looks, there's at least ten thousand men out there."

Cursing, Eragon gripped the saddle tighter.

"Tell the archers to fire on my command, no sooner. We'll take these bastards by surprise."

Roran nodded and sprinted away. Eragon felt Arya's hand clasp his arm.

"Are you ready, Eragon?"

He set his jaw.

"Yes."

"Then let us fly."

With a jolt, Saphira leapt from the ground, buffeting the soldiers around them with wind. They rose high into the air, above the walls of the castle, and looked out at the massive force that filled the forests. With a loud shout, projected by magic, he gave his command.

"Archers!" He paused as the men along the walls stood and drew their bows. He heard shoutings of fear from outside the castle. "Fire!"

Bows snapped and arrows pelted towards the enemies. Screeching was heard as the arrows struck. Suddenly a horn blasted through the air and he heard several far off snaps of something firing. He didn't realize what it was until he saw flaming boulders hurling towards the walls. Soldiers pushed out of the way as the projectiles smashed into stone and some landed on buildings inside the gates. Men shouted around them as they scrambled from the flames.

The twang of the bows continued and Eragon urged Saphira forward until they were above the enemy forces. Saphira roared loudly, her fire escaping into the early morning air, searing away the humidity around her. Arrows bounced off Eragon's wards as Galbatorix's men shot at them from below. Saphira dived downwards. When Eragon could clearly see the terrified faces of his enemy, Saphira let out a burst of flames, scorching the earth and any humans who hadn't moved in time. Screams filled the air and Eragon cringed slightly as Saphira rose back into the sky. Flaming boulders continued to pound into the walls of the castle as another sound started to fill his ears. A deep, dull thud that happened in pattern. Turning to look, what he saw sent a chill through his veins. In front of the castle gate, a group of about twenty was gathered. Their movements were fluid as they mouthed words he couldn't hear, an invisible force bending in the steel of the gates.

He looked back at Arya and motioned to them, yelling above the wind.

"Magicians! We need to get down there!"

She frowned nodded. As they got closer, Eragon saw why they hadn't been taken down by his archers. Even through the Arrows were being fired, they were bouncing of a ward placed around them. Arya and him were the only ones who would be able to stop them but with so many against two, he didn't like their odds. He closed his eyes and concentrated on contacting his own magicians. Percy opened his mind as Eragon pressed against it.

"_Eragon! Our spells do nothing against them! We can't break through their wards!"_

"_Focus and go for the minds! They are going to have a troubled time doing both at once. Arya and I will be at your aid in moments."_

Just then a he felt another mind press into his own. Panic slammed through him as he fought the foreign and menacing presence out. Percy responded in kind, slamming a wall down in place. Behind him, Arya's grip tightened on his tunic and he knew that her mind was under attack as well. Once the startled fear faded, Eragon began working around the sorcerers walls, trying to break through unguarded areas. It took him just moments to break through the opponent's mind and kill him. He opened his eyes to continue on just as another mind slammed his. Cursing, he focused back on protecting himself.

After almost four magicians had fought to break into his mind, he arrived upon one he knew was much stronger than the others. A sharp pain spiked into his head and he fought furiously to block the man out. As he fought to sneak into the man's mind, he saw that the thing being used as a block to keep Eragon out, was an image. A woman with wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes. He caught an emotion from the man that made his heart heavy, knowing that this man had to die. The woman Eragon saw was the man's wife. An idea came to him and the reality of what he was about to do made his stomach lurch horribly.

He knew if he didn't kill this man soon, he would perish instead. But what it would require for him to win, he didn't know if he could actually do. After several minutes, when his strength was waning, he knew there was no other option. Steeling himself, Eragon allowed a part of his mind open so the sorcerer would think he'd found a loop hole. As expected, the man slammed into his mind with full force. The moment he did, Eragon let the image he'd created show to him. It was the man's wife, dead and strewn about in the grass. Her neck was snapped and laid at a strange angle and the body was bruised and beaten until she was almost unrecognizable. Slashes covered her body and her face was frozen in a look of shock and pain. He felt the man slip and a full blast of horror, fear, agony, and despair filled his consciousness as the magicians emotions melted into his mind.

In one quick, fluid motion, he broke his opponent's mind to nothing and pulled away, disgusted with himself and feeling dirty everywhere. When he looked to the gates he saw the five men he'd killed crumpled as heaps on the ground. There was another eight along with them, from Arya's efforts as well as some of the magicians although he suspected it was mostly Arya. There was a frantic atmosphere around the enemy sorcerers as they tried to knock down the gate before they were broken as well.

Eragon knew that the wards placed on it would wear off any minute and he didn't know how their odds would be if ten thousand soldiers invaded the city.

Saphira had been evading attacks from arrows below as Eragon fought off the magicians because she knew he would lose strength every time that his wards blocked them. Now though, as the attack stopped on him and Arya, Saphira dove back down towards the castle. Eragon forced his mind into one of the magicians and after a few moments broke through, killing him instantly. Arya followed his lead until there was only three left. They worked frantically but they never accomplished their task. Saphira growled, engulfing them in a steady stream of flames. When she relented, all that was left was a pile of ash. It seemed that the wards had been set for arrows, not fire. That was why they had tried to divert his and Arya's attention.

With their death, the soldiers waiting in the forest moved further back, out of range of the arrows that had felled so many of their men. A cheer rose up from his men as Saphira roared in triumph and they headed back to the castle. Arya rested her forehead on his back, her hands fisted in his shirt. He had Saphira to help renew his strength but she had done that with no help at all. The castle wall was damaged in places and he could see fire on the inside along with smoke from the houses that had been put out. Saphira landed heavily in the courtyard and Eragon stood, his entire body stiff. He jumped down and stumbled slightly before turning back to find Arya land next to him gracefully, even in her state. He met her eyes and saw his own exhaustion mirrored in hers. He sent runners out for all the generals and leaders to meet in the council room.

He and Arya agreed that they didn't think Galbatorix's men would be attacking until they regrouped. As they walked through the halls of the castle, he gave a runner orders to get Saphira something to eat. They were a few turns away when Eragon stopped Arya.

"Hey, hold on."

"Why?"

He studied her face. She was paler than normal and her shoulders were slumped slightly. He brushed her beautiful, tangled hair from her face and saw her tense. Ignoring this, he ran his thumb along her cheek, his eyes still locked on hers.

"Are you ok?"

Her eyes hardened and she frowned.

"I'm fine Eragon."

She backed away but he followed, his hand still cupping her cheek. She sucked in a breath as her back hit the wall. He wasn't trying to do anything, he just wanted to make sure that she was ok, but being this close was intoxicating. Shaking his head clear, he looked at her carefully.

"Arya, you are not ok. You look like you're about to fall over."

"You don't look that great yourself."

He sighed.

"At least let me lend you some strength."

She tried to push him away.

"I don't need it."

He didn't budge.

"Arya."

After a moment she sighed.

"Fine, but hurry up."

He nodded and did so. When he was finished, she stood tall and pushed past him, not looking at him again. When they arrived in the room only Roran, Nasuada, and a few generals were gathered. They had to wait ten more minutes before everyone came. Eragon looked around him. He had a plan in mind but it would take a lot of convincing for everyone to accept it.

**Silverwing: **That's awesome! Andlol not to be creepy but Australian accents are like my favorite thing on this planet. Ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but I LOVE the accent. I want to move to Australia just to acquire the accent and meet Natalie Tran! Haha idk if you all know who she is but she makes Youtube videos and is fricken hilarious.

**My Generation: **Lmao I about died laughing when I read "he is like a sexual panda." And you're right on the Murtagh/ Eragon interaction. I was too focused on the story of the flashback I didn't think rationally about the rest lol. I will definitely need to find a way to slide some questions in.

**DomesticHouseCat: **I never liked Orrin much so that's kind of why I did it. I also needed a minor antagonist to start off with that could ruffle some feathers and then he'd straighten out like you saw in this chapter. And speaking of feathers, I've been checking up sporadically for your book you're writing and you haven't put up a new chapter. You're still going to continue right?

**Imaskier: **Not in the foreseeable future.


	8. Chapter 8

**IMPORTANT:**

**Some people are saying they like one story over the other so I've created a poll on my account for you all. It will decide which story is updated on Fridays and which is updated less often. So if you care about that, it's on my account page at the top of the screen.**

Conversations arose around the table as they argued and discussed on what to do next. Roran, who was next to Eragon, leaned over and spoke so only he could hear.

"I can see something brewing in that head of yours, cousin. What are you thinking?"

Eragon frowned.

"I'm thinking that now is the time to strike. Galbatorix's army is shaken. They thought they would break the gates and be able to overpower us through sheer number. Now that they have failed, they're going to be awaiting further instructions from him. If we scout their position, they will most likely have sentries posted around their camp. . . . "

**-A-R-Y-A-**

Across the table, she watched as Eragon and Roran spoke quietly to each other. The voices of everyone in the room prevented her from hearing what they were saying. Finally she'd had enough. She slammed her hand on the table loudly, the thud echoing around her. Everyone's eyes turned to her and she sat straighter.

"Enough of this." She looked pointedly at Eragon. "Somebody must have come up with a plan of attack."

He looked slightly surprised at her assumption but then nodded.

"I do. But most of you will not like it." He paused a moment and then squared his shoulders. "I suggest we send scouts out to pinpoint the location of their sentries. Upon doing so, we should send our strongest soldiers to replace them." A chorus of disapproval sounded but Arya was immediately intrigued. Eragon continued. "They are bound to change shift and so our men will then proceed into the enemy camp unnoticed." Another mumbled response. "With them inside, as night falls and the people sleep, our men will slip into the tents of the generals and commanders and kill them-"

Orrin interrupted.

"Eragon, although the plan would cause quite a great impact on the enemy, you cannot force our people through such danger while we sit and watch. I do not wish to cause more problems within this council but I must speak to this."

Eragon nodded.

"I understand your concern, Orrin. We cannot make anyone do this, and most wont volunteer knowing that they may die while we sit and let them. That is why. . ." Eragon paused but before he even spoke, Arya knew what he was going to say. He seemed to brace for the outbursts before he finished. "I'm going with them."

At these words many of the leaders stood in protest. Nasuada was the first to speak.

"Eragon, you are the King of an entire nation. You can't risk your life when there are none to take your place on the throne."

He smiled.

"But there is. Roran has agreed to take the crown should I perish on this mission."

Arguments started and soon the room was filled with angry murmurings. Arya kept her eyes on Eragon. He was calm, his body relaxed. He'd already made up his mind on this. His eyes met hers and he smirked. Without though she smirked back. Realizing it, she turned and stood with the others, waiting until it quieted down before speaking.

"This plan is perfect. The damage it would inflict on the stability of the enemy would be massive."

Her mother frowned.

"But you must admit that this is incredibly risky."

Arya nodded.

"Of course."

Islanzadi continued.

"And did it cross your mind that these sentries will have people who know them and their personalities? If we send totally different looking people in, they'll notice."

Eragon nodded.

"It did. That is why I will need several elves and magicians with me. We must break their minds and search them before we strike. And with a little magic, we will be able to shift the appearance of our people to look like theirs. You're people are masters of this are they not?"

Islanzadi studied him before nodding.

"It could work."

Orik frowned.

"But the higher ranking officials will most likely have guards. How will one soldier get past them?"

"That is why I think that this should be a two day mission. They will not be attacking again tomorrow because they will be waiting for more sorcerers to arrive and replace the ones we killed today." Arya noticed a slight look of shame cross Eragon's face before he cleared it. She made a point to ask about it later. "It will take at least two days for them to arrive or more depending on their location. This way, our people and I will be sent back out on sentry duty and somebody can come out and relay our information to the others. We can set two men to each target. Keep in mind, we must send in the best of the best, so I think taking out the guards wont be too big a deal. Are we in agreement?"

Eragon looked to the others. One by one they agreed, if a bit unwillingly. With that settled, they went to work in planning the whole thing out.

An hour later they were in front of sixty men and elves. Eragon stood before them all, confidence showing from his stance. It seemed his nerves had gone from earlier. Before her, was a true leader. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"You have all been singled out as extraordinary fighters with agile minds. Men capable of going into situations deemed too much for others. Right now, what I am going to tell you is of highest importance and must be kept completely quiet. The mission you are about to be sent on could very easily mean your deaths. Mine as well for I am joining you." She watched as nervous looks crossed the faces of many. Eragon continued. "You may, of course, leave. You will not be looked on as less if you wish to stay within the walls of the castle. In fact, I encourage those with families to think of to walk out right now."

There was a rustling of armor as twenty-seven men bowed and moved to the doors. Once they'd left, Eragon turned to those left and explained the entirety of the mission. Surprise showed on many faces. The faces of the elves showed a newfound respect for Eragon. Eragon looked around the room.

"You still have a chance to leave although you will be made to swear a blood-oath not to speak of this to anyone."

Some men seemed hesitant, as if they were going to leave, but then they squared their shoulders and stayed put. Eragon grinned and then called forward one elf and one man.

"Now, to pull this off, you are going to be paired with somebody. They will be your partner in this and you will be going to take down your target together. When night falls on the second day, you will meet them at a specified spot and then carry on together."

He paired the men and elves up and when they got to the end, only one man was left. Eragon smiled.

"Tristan. So good to see you again. You and I will be partners in this."

The man nodded with a grin and Eragon dismissed them all.

"You may return to your posts for now. Let everything return to normal and reveal nothing to anyone, not even friends or family. And tonight, we may come up with too many compared to their scouts so if that is the case, some of you might stay back. If there is an odd number of scouts, then Tristan, you will join another and I shall go in on my own. Go now and prepare yourselves."

Men bowed and elves nodded before turning to leave the room. Arya walked to Eragon.

"You cannot go in alone, Eragon."

He smirked at her.

"You worried for my safety?"

He was joking but she was not.

"Yes."

Her seriousness hit him and he looked away.

"Arya, I can't make anyone else go by themselves. I will be fine."

She frowned, angry at herself for feeling such fear for him. Forcing it away, she nodded.

"Fine." Trying to change the subject, she turned the conversation around. "Did something happen today when we were fighting the magicians?"

He startled and shook his head too quickly.

"No."

"Eragon-"

"No. Nothing. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Nasuada. She said she had something for me."

Arya let him go and went to rest and regain some strength.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He walked swiftly away from her and down the hall, wishing he'd had the guts to tell her. But the truth was that he was ashamed. What he had done. . .It was cruel. Pushing it from his mind, he walked down to the library. Just before he'd gathered all those going on the mission, Nasuada had approached him and said to come down to the library. When he'd asked why, she'd just smirked knowingly and walked away. Now, as he pushed through the heavy double doors, a strange smell assaulted his nose. He covered it with the sleeve of his tunic and made his way down an isle of books to where he saw movement.

"Tell me again why we had to meet in the library, Nasuada?"

A round face appeared around the side of the bookcase.

"Because books are quite wonderful and I enjoy their smell."

Eragon stopped. Before him was a short woman with a curly brown hair and a youthful face. But her eyes, they looked as if they knew much more than they should. He frowned.

"Who are you? Where's Nasuada? And what is that smell?"

The lady grinned before disappearing back around the shelf. After a moment, Eragon followed, wary of this strange character and very aware that he didn't have his sword. What he saw stopped him short. On one of the reading tables, a large pot rested with wisps of steam escaping the top. He narrowed his eyes, looking under the pot to find a small fire burning harmlessly on the table. Looking back at the woman he questioned her.

"If you love books so much, why do you set a fire so near them?"

The woman laughed.

"Oh, Eragon. I do not worry for such things. There is no way for the fire to spread."

"You know this how?"

The woman looked offended.

"I told it not to."

_Ok this lady is crazy. _

"You told it not to?" Eragon shook his head. "Never mind. Who are you? Where is Nasuada?"

"I'm Angela. Nasuada sent you to me so stop being a prat and listen." Eragon just stared and Angela continued. "I have created something for you to take with you when you sneak into the enemy's camp."

Eragon's eyes widened.

"How do you know of this? Who have you told?"

Angela waved his question away.

"Calm yourself, rider. You're plans are still safe. Now, I have created this little, um. . . what to call it. . . . .?" Angela picked up an oddly shaped object about the size of a fist and held it before her. ". . .Well what you call it doesn't matter." She thrust the object into Eragon's hands where he almost succeeded in dropping it. Angela waggled her finger at him. "Careful now, that will knock us both out if it breaks."

Eragon looked at her like she was crazy and held the object away from his body.

"What is it?"  
Angela beamed proudly.

"A mixture of this, a drop of that, and a touch of magic. Should do well for knocking out the guards in front of the officers tents don't you think?"

He was dumfounded but before he could ask the woman anything, she continued.

"I am have only made four of them but since you don't need them till tomorrow night, I have time to make more. You'll just have to let me know how many on your shift that night. Sound good?" Eragon nodded, mouth almost hanging open. "Good. Now get! I need to finish these."

She shooed him with her hands and he walked out of the library, still a bit dazed. Nasuada was waiting for him with a knowing grin on her face.

"You met her?"

He nodded.

"What on earth just happened?"

Nasuada laughed.

"It was the first encounter. You'll get used to her after awhile."

"Yeah but who is she?"

Nasuada shrugged.

"I don't really know. She just shows up places without people knowing how she got in. Today she knocked on my door and asked to speak with you because she had something that would help your mission."

"Wait, you didn't tell her of it?"

"No, she already knew."

"Then we have a breach."

Nasuada shook her head, chuckling.

"No, no. She just knows things. I once had her show up at my home and tell me not to go to a banquet with this knight that had asked for me. I didn't. Turned out that on his way to the feast, a rogue sorcerer with a grudge toppled a huge brick onto him and the woman he'd taken instead. After that, I just decided to listen when she talked and do what she asked."

"Haven't you ever wondered if she was just trying to gain your trust in order to do something awful or help another race defeat you?"

Nasauda nodded.

"Of course. That is until I learned in talking with the Elves and the Dwarves that she has done things like that for them as well."

"How come I nor my father has ever met her?"

Nasuada shrugged.

"How do you know he didn't? Maybe she asked him not to speak of it. Who knows with her. What did she want from you?"

"She just told me that she was making. . . something that knocks people out or something."

"For the guards?"

"Yeah."

"I'd use them."

Eragon ran his hand through his hair.

"I don't know, maybe."

Nasuada turned to leave.

"If you don't you'll regret it."

"Is that a threat?"

Nasuada laughed.

"Eragon, what reason do I have to threaten you? It's a warning from experience. Just do what she says."

He turned to go to his own room and get some rest when Saphira interrupted his thoughts.

"_What has happened in my absence?"_

Eragon grinned.

"_Do you mean during your nap?"_

Saphira snorted, annoyed, and Eragon shook his head in amusement. Then he told her of the happenings of the day. He'd been worried about this but her reaction seemed a bit over the top. She roared so loudly that he could hear her deafeningly through his mind and as it ricocheted on the castle walls. Runners in the halls and nobles startled noticeably before going on their way. He braced himself before she spoke.

"_Foolish! You will not risk your life with a result that isn't decided!"_

"_The decision has already been made Saphira! This is the one thing that will end this or at least postpone the battle without further destruction and bloodshed of our people! You cannot think irrationally on this!"_

Saphira roared angrily again and he hoped that people didn't start to worry.

"_No!"_

Eragon cooled his own anger and responded as calmly as he could.

"_Saphira. It must be done."_

There was a long pause and Eragon felt his dragon's fear and anger. He also felt that Saphira knew he was right. Finally, she spoke again.

"_And what am I to do while you're off risking your life? Just sit here and wait for you?"_

"_No. You will be with Arya. She is going to be helping shift the faces of the people and I need you to lend your strength to her and any who are helping her."_

Eragon had reached his room by then and unlocked it before stepping inside and closing the door. He turned and walked to the balcony. Moments later Saphira landed heavily on the railing. Her large head swiveled his way and she blew heated smoke into his face, making him cough. Waving it away he ran his hand along her scales.

"What is your goal Saphira? Make me sick of fumes so that I cannot go?"

"_It crossed my mind. Along with just whisking you away until it was over."_

"That would be cowardice, Saphira."

"_I know."_

There was a knock on the door and Eragon moved towards it. What he found made his heart skip a beat. Arya was before him, arms crossed, in her leathers, and she looked annoyed. He couldn't help but grin which seemed to anger her.

"Why does Saphira insist on waking the entire castle? What did you do to anger her so?"

"Well most of the castle is awake so I'm guessing you meant yourself. And how come you suspect it was I who caused her anger?"

Arya rolled her eyes and pushed into the room, heading for the balcony. He felt Saphira allow her into their minds. Without hesitation Saphira assaulted Arya with questions.

"_How could you let him agree to such a stupid quest?"_

Arya looked at Eragon, eyebrows raised.

"_You didn't discuss it with her?"_

Eragon sighed and went out to join them.

"_She would've argued and interrupted the meeting to prove her point. It must be this way."_

Saphira growled.

"_I would not have!"_

Eragon laughed and shook his head.

"_You would've."_

Suddenly, he was disconnected from them. Frowning, he tried to return to Saphira's mind only to find her blocking him. _Great. _With a sigh, he sat on the ground and waited for Arya and Saphira to finish their conversation. Closing his eyes, Eragon let the cool breeze brush his cheeks as the sun radiated down and warmed them again. It was beautiful this time of year. Too bad it was marred by the presence of Galbatorix's army. Opening his eyes, he let them wander until they reached Arya. He knew he should turn away, but in this light. . . . He didn't have words to describe how incredible she looked.

The sun was hitting her eyes perfectly and radiating the beautiful emerald green like it was on fire. Her lithe body was relaxed and her arms were crossed as she leaned casually on the stones of the castle. Her blue-black hair shone brilliantly in the rays and blew softly in the wind. His heart was beating ten times faster than normal by the time he forced himself to look down at his feet. But it only lasted for a moment before his mind was captivated by her again. To escape it, he stood and walked inside, dropping onto his bed and sprawling on top of the covers. It seemed like an hour before a shadow blocked the light in front of him. He opened his eyes to find Arya standing beside his bed.

"So what happened today that made you so upset?" Her sudden question made it impossible to hide his reaction. Looking away instead, he sat up and tried to move around her. Quicker than sight, her hands settled onto his shoulders and held him in front of her. "Eragon."

He frowned.

"What? I don't have to tell you anything. What did you and Saphira talk about?"

Arya shrugged.

"Nothing. What happened today?"

He shook his head, the images returning and making him feel sick inside. The man's emotions barraged his mind again in his memory, causing his eyes to water slightly. Arya held his chin and forced him to look at her. Her eyes were worried.

"Eragon. Tell me."

"I'd rather not."

She smiled, disarming him completely.

"Too bad."

He watched her for a moment before nodding. She dropped her hands and waited.

"Today . . . during the battle, the last guy I fought was strong. Much stronger than the others. And I was already tired so it was even harder. He was using an image to block me out. It was this woman. . . ." He looked down and debated whether to continue. Arya took one of his hands, urging him on. "his wife. I tried so hard to defeat him without doing it. I truly did. . . ."

"Doing what?"

"When I realized that I might lose the battle, I used the woman's image against the sorcerer. Showing him images of her dead. It was horrific, what I did."

"Eragon, you did what you must to survive."

Anger welled in him and he glared up at her. His voice shook in fury.

"How can you say that so _easily_? You did not feelhis agony. You didn't feel a strong man brought to his knees, his entire life become worthless, because he thought that the one person who was so special to him was dead. Even if it wasn't real. That image _broke_ him! I felt _everything_ he felt. I went through his last moments with him as he tried to reinstate the image of her unbeaten face in his head! How can you just pass it off as another consequence in war!"

Arya's expression didn't change as she stepped away, pulling her hand from his.

"It comes with the territory, Eragon."

He stood and followed her retreat.

"It shouldn't! How is this so easy for you to grasp? How can you wave it away like losing somebody you love means nothing?!"

Her passive mask slipped and he saw something he wasn't expecting. Pain. No, agony. A heart-wrenching agony that sent chills through him. A sudden desire to help her in some way overcame him and everything else left his mind. Reaching forward, he gripped her forearm and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms tightly around her body and crushing her against him. She tensed immediately and tried to pull away but it was a half-hearted attempt. His actions startled him for he had not consciously made the decision to try and comfort her. It was natural. After a moment her body relaxed into his and her hands fisted into the back of his tunic. Her body fit perfectly with his. It was comforting and it was making his heart beat at a hundred miles an hour.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

The moment he pulled her into him, she knew she would regret not pulling back. But as his arms tightened around her waist, she realized she didn't want to. Somehow, he had managed to slip past her walls and bring down her defenses. He'd seen everything. He'd forgotten himself in that moment, forgotten his pain and instead focused his worry on her. Never had she met somebody who could do this to her. Not even Faolin. The thought surprised her. He was the reason for her grief, and yet she wasn't even thinking of him any more. The moment Eragon touched her, everything else disappeared.

But it would return soon, she knew. And when it did, this moment would be gone. Probably never to happen again. Just then he pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. Again, her fears disappeared to be replaced with something else entirely. His fingers brushed her bangs behind her pointed ears.

"What is it, Arya?"

His voice was soft, almost a whisper. Soothing and enticing. Her heart skipped a few beats. She fought off the reactions, becoming angry at herself for allowing it. _Dammit! Arya, stop! Enough of this! You are just being cruel, making him believe this is more than it is. _Her conscience yelled but every time she started to retreat, his eyes would pull her back in. The internal struggle going on between her emotions and her mind was intense, neither one winning over the other. That left her in this moment. Stuck. Because the desire to stay was just as strong as the one to run away. Eragon did the one thing that could tilt the scale.

"Please talk to me, Arya. I want to help you."

He _cared_. Without thinking, she leaned into him and pressed her lips against his own. He gasped slightly, lips parting before he returned her kiss. Nothing had ever felt so natural. Warmth spread through her body and every care or stress she had left her mind. His mouth was soft against hers, hesitant. Fingers brushed her jaw and trailed down her neck then back up. Despite everything, the overwhelming feeling she had was rightness. This felt right. This felt perfect.

But perfection didn't exist and she knew it well. Just as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss, a clatter of a tray was heard in the halls. Arya threw herself back, away from him. He watched her, his face in shock and bliss. Now worry was added to it.

"Arya. . ."

Her body longed to return, her entire being, wanted to be held by him again. But the moment was broken. With a quick nod, she started towards the door. She'd almost reached it when she heard his footsteps sprint across the floor. He grabbed her hand.

"Arya wait! Please!" She turned and his eyes made her want to just lose herself in them. "Just tell me what's wrong, please. I _want_ to help you. Arya, please. . . ."

She closed her eyes against his words. Shaking her head, she pushed him back and pulled open the door, shutting it firmly behind her. With that, she walked swiftly towards her room.

**Green Magic: **Lol that comment was epic. I'll make sure not to stop the story just for the fear of having my underwear stolen.

**Mahavia: **I'm sorry but no. I worked way too hard on that story to hand it off to somebody else. And I don't think anyone has it anyway. If somebody does, just let people know in a review or something and I think you could pass it around that way.

**Silverwing: **Lol I would stalk her just to be like "HEY!" and I know it would take a while but it's totally worth it. And even if I did go back, I would make myself keep the Australian accent because it's awesome. And he is trained in it, but nerves will screw with your decision making. In this chapter I let out his true ingenuity though lol :) And they're both going to have ExA haha. I wouldn't even bother writing anything else.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok, so as of right now, this story is going to stay on Fridays. It's winning by like ten more votes lol. And anyone who can't find the poll who has an account, all you gotta do is click "Unrivaled Mind" and it'll be at the top of my account page. People who don't have accounts, you can still vote, just say it in the reviews if you want to. And OMG. Did anyone watch the Castle season premier? BEST EPISODE EVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Lol it was an awesome week full of procrastination and avoiding my homework till the last minute, but at least I got to watch all my shows that came back. Now it's Once Upon a Time this Sunday and Supernatural this upcoming Wednesday! Also, I might be getting a job at GameStop so wish me luck with my interview today!**

She cursed under her breath as she walked, her head feeling light and confused. She had just turned the corner to reach her door when she saw her mother standing before it, knocking. She was in no position to speak to anyone, and even though her mother and her weren't on great terms, a hundred years allowed you to get to know somebody pretty well. Her mother would know something was going on. She stopped to turn but as she did so, Islanzadi spotted her.

"Arya."

Wincing, Arya took a breath and then turned to her, face passive once again.

"Yes?"

Islanzadi frowned.

"You saw me. Why did you try and sneak away?"

Rolling her eyes, Arya walked to her door and spoke the spell to get in under her breath. She turned so her mother couldn't follow.

"Because I don't want to talk right now."

Her mother's eyes narrowed as she studied her.

"What's going on?" Ignoring her question, Arya tried to push the door closed only to have her mom throw her hand out to stop it. Without word Arya turned and walked to the balcony, hoping her mom would take her silence as an invitation to leave her alone. Instead, Islanzadi followed. "Arya."

Obviously she wasn't leaving. Without looking at her she responded.

"What do you need?"

Islanzadi appeared beside her and looked at her with concern.

"Something is wrong. What is it?"

This was not happening. Her mother might be a master of acquiring answers, but she was the master of stonewalling. If she didn't want somebody to know something, they wouldn't know. Clearing her face so only a cold annoyance remained, she looked at her.

"I am not able to go on the mission tonight, ok? It angers me to allow so many elves risk their lives on this while I sit back."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She was truly annoyed that she wasn't going, but it definitely wasn't as big a deal as she was making it. She was needed here, to coordinate the mission from this side. Islanzadi didn't look convinced but there wasn't much she could do to argue the topic. Shaking her head, her mother looked out over the city.

"They need you here."

"I know." After a long silence, Arya had had enough. "What is it you want?"

Islanzadi frowned.

"I came to you about Eragon, actually."

At his name her heart skipped a few beats.

"What about?"

"Before he goes through with this plan, he needs to be heavily warded. His survival is of utmost importance for this. So as you are changing his appearance, set spells to protect him as well."

"Everybody's life is important."

The moment it was out of her mouth, she frowned. _Where had that come from?_ Of course everybody's life was important, but she knew some were more necessary than others. Her mother looked curiously at her and she tried to figure out why those words had just come from her. When she realized where she'd heard it, she made a point to punch Eragon the next time she saw him. Even his morals were morphing with her own. His belief that no one person was better than another. Soon she was going to be running errands for peasants if this kept up. Islanzadi nodded, eyes narrowed.

"Of course. But Eragon is the King. If he dies, many will wallow in despair and pity. The people's of this kingdom could lose hope."

Arya nodded.

"I'll ward him." She rested her arms on the balcony. "Can you leave me now?"

Her mother paused a few moments before nodding.

"Yes."

The moment Arya heard the door close, she turned back to her room and dropped onto the bed, trying to force herself to fall asleep. She didn't want to think of anything right then. Especially not Eragon. It seemed though, that her mind had other desires. As soon as she fell into her waking dreams, his face appeared. _His eyes boring into hers with a desire that hurt her heart. It was a pure and true desire to help her. That look in his eyes when he realized that he'd caused her pain. . . . It was so very unexpected and so very beautiful. Her mind continued to conjure images of him until suddenly her dreams took a turn for the worse. _

_She was removed from the warmth of the room and placed outside in the cold. It was dark and she was standing in the forest that they planned on entering that night. She was walking through the brush and heavy branches that blocked her path when she saw a hand resting limply on the ground. Rivulets of blood had dried in different directions on his arms. Even before she looked up, she knew who it was. Even then, her stomach jolted in horror at what she saw. Eragon was before her, his body broken in so many places that there was no way for him to still be alive. A deep cut ran along his chest and smaller scratches covered his face and arms. _

_His front was so soaked in blood that there was no way to make out what color tunic he'd been wearing. When she looked at his eyes her legs about gave out. They were so. . . . lifeless. Cold. . . . Dead. The worst part of it all, was that she'd seen this before. Again her nightmare changed. When it refocused, she realized it was a memory. One she knew well but fought desperately to forget. It was twenty years earlier, and she was trekking over the sand, looking for Faolin. He'd went to scout ahead two hours earlier and hadn't returned yet. As she reached the top of a sand dune, she saw him. In the exact same position as Eragon had been in. She could tell from there that there was nothing she could do to save him, but still, she sprinted to him, calling for him to awaken. _

_Dropping down next to him, she turned his face in her hands and knew, then and there, that he was gone. The agony that had tore her open was repeated in full force. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into her lap. He was gone. Laughter rocked the air around her and she jerked her head up to find who she now knew as Durza, standing several feet away. His eyes were cold and amusement shone through them._

"_Poor, poor girl. Was he your lover? Did you even get to say goodbye?" A ferocious rage she'd never felt before sprang to life and she allowed Faolin to settle back to the ground as she stood, her body rigid. Durza's laughter continued. "What can you do to a shade? Do you plan on fighting me? Dear elf, save your life. It will be no fun for me to just kill you now. Well, that, and I have orders to kill just one. To send a message to your people. Tell you what, in a few years I will most likely see you again. I will kill you then and we will be done with."_

_Arya lunged at him but it was too late, he spoke a spell and disappeared into the air. As he did so, he laughed again and called out. "Tell your Queen that Galbatorix is coming. And when he does, you will all end up like that one."_

A sharp knock on the door broke Arya from her past with a jolt. She gasped and realized that her cheeks were slightly damp. Her heart was beating out of control and her body was covered in sweat. Another knock. Quickly, she wiped the escaped tears from her cheeks and used a spell to return everything to normal. Opening the door, she found Nasuada waiting for her.

"I figured we could walk together, being that our rooms are so near."

Arya gathered her scattered mind and nodded, walking out to join Nasuada and closing the door behind her. They headed for the garden, the place where it had been decided everyone would meet, and spoke of the mission quietly. They'd only gone halfway when Orik joined them. They met Orrin and several others as they reached the doors to the outside and as a group, they entered. The sight before her was silent and those who did speak, spoke in whispers. All the one's who were to go to the forest had slid into night black clothing that covered every part of their bodies.

She walked with Nasuada as she spoke with her men that were going. Orrin and Islanzadi were doing the same. It wasn't for several minutes that Arya caught sight of Eragon. He was in deep conversation with another soldier. She watched as a woman bustled up to them and her eyebrows rose when she realized who it was. Angela, the wanderer that had appeared many times during Arya's life, was carrying a large basket before her. Eragon looked like he couldn't tell if she was crazy or if he could trust her. The woman opened the basket and pulled out a round object. She held it out to Eragon and he took it warily, his eyes searching the gathered for somebody to help him. It wasn't till his met hers that she realized she should have disappeared into the crowd by then.

She wanted so badly to turn and walk off but his eyes begged for her assistance. Sighing, she went over to meet them. Angela turned as she arrived and smiled brightly.

"Arya! So good to see you again." The woman tossed two of the round objects to her as well. "Those are for tomorrow night. All they'll have to do is toss it near the guards that surround the captain's tents and within seconds they'll be out cold for at least ten minutes. If I made them any stronger the afterspell would knock out our people as well."

Arya studied the crude spheres in her hands and smiled slightly. Of course Angela was here. Something like this would be too big for her to miss out on.

"That's perfect."

"I know."

With that, Angela snatched them back from her and Eragon and walked away, leaving them alone. She feared he would broach the subject of what happened earlier and she didn't want to have to tell him what she knew had to be said just yet. She couldn't go through that pain again. Of course she wouldn't tell him that, She would tell him that it was just the job, nothing personal. But to her relief, he motioned toward the retreating witch.

"Is she sane?"

She was about to respond when a clump of dirt hit him in the face. She looked to find Angela glaring at him, almost thirty feet away. How she'd heard them, Arya had no idea. Still it was incredibly amusing to her and she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Eragon's eyes were wide in surprise but as soon as he saw her smirking, he crossed his arms and frowned.

"This is not funny."

She shrugged.

"It kind of is. You should never question the sanity of that woman. She's smarter than everyone here and can probably defeat you with any weapon you choose."

He looked unconvinced but didn't push the subject. Instead, he picked up the black tunic on the bench beside him. She had to look away as he pulled off his shirt to replace it. As soon as he'd finished he grabbed two smaller pieces of cloth and tossed one to her. She held it out in front of her and realized it was a hood. Eragon slid his on and all that was left uncovered were his eyes. She frowned and then did the same. Looking over, she could tell he was grinning under the mask.

"We look like two regular burglars. You're just lucky you already had black clothing and could wear that. We all have to wear this terrible fabric and its' itchy."

Arya rolled her eyes.

"It is not. You're just so used to velvet and satin and that cloth is too rough for your precious skin."

He looked offended.

"I do not wear velvet or satin."

She couldn't help but smile slightly under the mask.

"Sure you don't, Eragon."

He nudged her and chuckled before nodding to the crowded area.

"It's time to go."

She looked to the soldiers before her and noticed they'd all dressed in the black clothing and most had put the hoods on. Gloves were being passed around by several. Eragon started towards them, his shoulders squaring and his steps purposeful. In the quiet, all he had to do was talk in a normal tone to get everyone's attention. As soon as he had it, he lowered his voice again and everyone moved closer.

"Separate into your pairs and make sure you stay with them as we head out. It will be of utmost importance that you know what they look like after their faces are changed." There was a murmur of voices as soldiers shuffled through the crowd to find who they'd been paired with. After a few moments everybody had stopped and was waiting for him to continue. Tristan had moved forward and was near Eragon. "Now, we are going to be going through the wall and travel silently that way." Several confused people questioned him but he waved their worries away. "There is a place in the wall in which I can pass through. Today, I shifted it's spell so as to allow me, Tristan, and ten others through as well. To have added all of you would have taken too long and consumed my energy and that of any who helped me. Therefore, as we pass through, you _must _be touching one of the added person's skin in some way. This means that we are going to have to take a few trips because we are only allowing three to go through at a time. More could hold on, but the possibility that they would lift their hand is too high."

Several soldiers came forward and they removed their gloves. It took some time for the situation to be sorted out. The first people to go through was to be Eragon and two elves. He wanted to show the men that they'd be fine. They disappeared through the wall and several seconds later, Eragon returned alone. The next group stepped forward but before they went in, Eragon looked pointedly at them.

"You _cannot _let go. Is that understood?"

They nodded and Eragon looked to the rest who indicated they did as well. It took ten minutes to get everyone else through and then Eragon returned and motioned for her and Tristan to join him. They would be the last. Islanzadi walked with them until they reached the wall. She looked at Arya.

"Be careful, please."

"Of course, mother."

With that, she took Eragon's hand, ignoring the tingle that shot through her body, and they walked through the wall. The rest of the soldiers and magicians were waiting on the other side. According to Eragon, and Arya had to agree, what was coming now was going to be the most risky part. They had to reach the trees without being seen and that required total silence. It had been decided that the ten elves including her, would be the ones to sneak in and put down the enemy lookouts. They were quick enough and knew forests well enough that they could be completely silent. They would also be able to use magic to camouflage themselves in the open land before reaching the trees.

Eragon waited with the soldiers, hidden in the great shadow of the arena, while she and the other elves concealed themselves and started forward. It was a nerve-racking twenty minutes till they arrived at the edge of dense trees. At that, they crouched low and closed their eyes. Opening their minds instead. The risk of another sorcerer being on lookout duty was slim because either the army had no more, or what little they had, they wouldn't risk on the outskirts of camp.

One by one, systematically, the elves found and disabled them using all their minds together to render them helpless to defense. To leave their minds in tact so as to read them later, they were forced to keep the lookouts alive until the memories could be read and transferred. After disabling them, she and the elves went and checked to make sure they could not do anything. Most of the time the spell used knocked the scouts unconscious, but some with stronger minds were laying paralyzed, eyes so wide the whites were showing, and mouths open in and effort to scream. All that came out were whispers almost too quiet for even an elf. It took almost an hour to find and disable every man in the trees surrounding the camp, but they finished on schedule.

With that finished, she left three elves by the last lookout incapacitated and the first that they'd killed. The others waited by the edge of the forest as she sprinted back to where Eragon was waiting. When he saw her relief crossed his face and he motioned the others to follow as she led them back.

**-E-R-A-G-N-**

The wait for them was excruciatingly slow and as every minute passed, he grew more and more on edge. He'd blocked Saphira out of his head because her nerves were just causing him to doubt himself and that couldn't happen. This was his plan and if it went wrong and people died, that was on him and his conscience. The moment he saw Arya a huge weight lifted from his chest and he smiled under his hood. So far so good. When they arrived in the woods, the real work started. It took an elf or magician at least fifteen minutes per person to gather enough memories to transfer to the soldier's taking their place. Since they had several people and elves gifted with magic, it only took an hour and a half to do but it was still cutting it close.

Finally, it was his turn. He looked to his right and found that Arya had returned to help him. She closed her eyes and absorbed the memories of the soldier before standing and looking at him. Her eyes were clouded with emotion that he couldn't read. She watched him for several moments before he felt her mind press into his.

**Silverwing: **That is awesome. Lol I would feel like a bad ass if I had an accent. It's so not fair. And they only ended it once with it looking like she might die. Last season ended with her going over to Castle's house and telling her she wanted him haha. And also, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you have an account on FF? Or do you have one and just don't want to sign in lol, I'd totally get that. And I am not telling haha, you'll all have to wait and see what happens next :)

**My Generation: **It's all good. And hell no lol, I will not be doing lemons again. That experience is not something I want to go through again hahaha. It sucked so bad, like one of the worst days of my life having to remove my stories. I'm just going to keep everything T in the romance department so as to avoid any angry parents. The reason being that I still live in their house and they are reading my stories lol. And you weren't the only one to suggest it so no blame on you haha.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok, this has not been edited at all so please excuse the mistakes. I am going out of town on a retreat for two days and I wont have my computer with me so I had to do it now. Again, I apologize for any mistakes.**

Memories from a man he knew not of flooded his head and the experience was eerily similar to what had happened earlier. He cringed and almost closed off his mind at the familiarity but a hand gripped his and he gained back his perspective. The man he was going to become for the next two days was named Colin Addinell. He was forty two years old and his wife had passed 6 months before. Her name was Phillipa. She had silver hair and eyes of a deep blue like the ocean. His best friend and the person who Eragon would have to convince most he was who he said, was a soldier named Arnald Chandos.

Details of the camp and schedule times ran past in a flurry of information as Arya continued to let information flow from her mind to his. When it was over, his mind felt stretched, tired. Arya pulled her mind away from his and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him, her green eyes passive. Her hand pulled from his and she bent down next to the unconscious soldier. After several moments she stood back up and pulled the hood from his head. As she went to work on morphing the features of his face, he watched her face as she was too focused to notice. The ancient language poured from her lips as she shifted one eyebrow then another before moving onto the nose. The feeling was weird, like his skin was crawling across his bones. He wasn't listening to what she said at first but then he caught a word that wouldn't have been needed in this spell. With a frown he stepped away.

"Why did you just say 'arrow' in a shifting spell? Are you warding me?"

He saw her eyes roll before she moved forward and continued changing him.

"Yes. Now shut up, I have to change the shape of your mouth."

After a few moments, she stopped talking a looked back down at the man. He took the opportunity to speak.

"Why are you warding me? Have you even changed my face yet?"

Arya's mind pressed into his and an image of Colin appeared, except this one had brown hair and brown eyes, not the blonde and hazel that should be there. It took a second for him to realize it was him. The moment he did Arya closed him off and then looked back to the soldier on the ground. She lifted his eyelids and studied his eyes before turning back to Eragon. Surprise flitted through him as she took his face in her hands but it was replaced by a panic as he felt his eyes shift. Closing them he pressed his palms against them and blinked several times.

"Ouch. You could've warned me."

Arya frowned.

"Why? Wasn't it obvious what I was doing?"

He stuttered and rubbed his eyes once more before shrugging.

"Yeah."

After that he was silent until she'd finished his hair and darkened the color of his teeth. He ran his tongue across them and grimaced.

"They feel nasty."

Arya chuckled and the sound was welcomed eagerly by his ears.

"That's because he wasn't very cleanly. You're going to have to go through two whole days with no bath. Think you can handle it?"

She was making fun of him but he couldn't help but feel amused anyways.

"Yes."

"Good, now take off your shirt."

His eyebrows raised.

"Why?"

"Eragon, I doubt this man had your . . " she paused and he thought she seemed a bit uncomfortable. "physique. He looks rather on the large side."

He grinned and pulled off the black tunic.

"I am rather-"

"Shut up, Eragon."

She kept her gaze from his body as she leaned down to pull off the armor and grey tunic of the look out. Eragon cringed when he saw what he was about to look like.

"Do I have to?"

"Unless you want to come up with an explanation of how that," she pointed at the soldier, "became that," She motioned at him. "then yes."

Groaning he looked away as she changed his stomach and covered the muscles there, adding on a layer of skin. When she was done she stepped back and a small laugh escaped her lips.

"That look suits you."

He made a face at her he took the soldiers tunic. Refusing to look down, he pulled on the soldiers tunic and then grabbed the metal breastplate. Already, just bending over, he could feel the extra weight wearing on him. Arya motioned to the soldier.

"Finish getting ready and start to familiarize yourself with your new body and memories. I'll be back before you're off to change anything else necessary, but I must go help another."

He nodded and at that she disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Feeling slightly nauseous, he pulled off the rest of the man's clothing and put them on. They smelled of alcohol and sweat. Lastly he pulled on the boots, pushing his feet into them. They were a little large but not so much that anyone would notice. He cinched the man's belt around his waist and pulled out the sword, checking the quality. It wasn't the best but it would do if an emergency arose. From the man's memories, he realized that although a competent fighter, he would have to dumb down his skill a lot to equal that of the soldier. When he'd finished getting ready, he sat down and rested his back against the wood of a tree, setting the helmet next to him until it was necessary to put on. For the next ten minutes, he sat there quietly and ran through all the new things, trying to make them second nature.

Footsteps approached and he turned to find a man he knew not standing before him. Although he knew everyone would look different, he couldn't take chances. He rose to his feet and rested his hand on his sword.

"You are?"

The man smiled.

"Tristan."

Even his voice was different. That made Eragon realize that Arya had not changed his. She'd have to do it before they left. He smirked at the soldier before him. He was taller than he'd been with dark black hair and light blue eyes. Eragon crossed his arms.

"How come you got a young man and I got some old guy with a beer gut?"

Tristan laughed and shrugged.

"Oh you know, just the luck of the draw."

"How did they make you taller?"

Tristan held up a leg.

"Extra thick-soled shoes. Apparently stretching bones is a rather painful experience."

"So I've heard. That's why we tried to pair up with somebody who was our height so only cosmetic changes were needed. How long until everyone is ready? I want to speak to them before we go in."

"They should all be on their way right now."

He was right, just then a stick broke next to him and he turned to find almost fifteen men he'd never seen walking towards them. It was a weird sight, not knowing your own men. It took almost twelve more minutes for everyone to arrive and when they did, he told them to find their partners and memorize their new faces for it would be critical in the mission. Arya stepped beside him and he leaned closed to speak with her.

"You forgot my voice."

"No I did not. I left it like that so that the ones going in would recognize you. If you tried to speak to them using another man's voice, it would have less effect. I will change it after you have said what you needed."

He hadn't thought of that but he was glad she had. Once everyone was quiet, he looked out at them.

"What you are doing, you are doing for your families and friends. Not for your King or Queen. If we succeed, it reduces the chance that more will die because of this army. In that camp, you are not you. You are who they were. The ones whose memories you took. At night, you make sure to go over that again and again until you feel that their minds are yours. I know this is frightening for some. I apologize that it is needed at all. Now, there is only one more hour till the guard shift. Return to your posts and await your replacements. Good luck, soldiers."

Around him people started to melt back into the darkness of the trees and shadow until only three remained. Arya and two others. One picked up the body of the soldier Eragon had replaced and tossed him over his shoulder. The other removed any traces that anyone but Eragon, or Colin, had been there. With that they started back to the castle. Arya turned to him and pressed her fingers to his neck as she spoke words in the ancient language. When he spoke next, his voice was deeper and raspy, like he'd inhaled smoke.

"See you soon, Arya."

"Try and dirty your nails a bit, they look too clean to be his.

"Thank you."

She nodded and started to walk after the two who had left but she paused.

"Be careful Eragon."

With that she was gone. Sighing, he picked up the helmet and pressed it on his head. Ten more minutes and he was going to be heading behind enemy lines.

When his replacement came, he had already gone over how it usually went down between him and Colin. The soldier was shorter, younger.

"All's well?"

"All's well Alan. Boring as hell. If ya' ask me, I'd hope for a good fight. Course' these bastards we up 'gainst ain't got no balls to speak of. Doubt we'll see much of em' until we get reinforcements."

The other man grinned.

"Damn right. Although some say the women in that castle are prettier than no other. We'll have a true good time with them when we get reinforcements here and take it."

Although his stomach revolted and his fist urged to punch his replacement, he chuckled.

"If ya' find any good winches save one for me."

"Course' Colin. Now go get some sleep. I'll see ya'."

"Stay safe."

Eragon walked the path from Colin's memories until he came into a clearing. A small panic shot through him at the sight of so many enemy tents but he calmed himself. _There's no way they'll find out unless I allow them. And going in shaking is a sure way to do it. _He forced his nerves to subside and made his way for the tent that he was to report to. He'd almost arrived when somebody ran up behind him.

"Colin! I've been callin' for you! Wait up!"

Eragon cursed his stupidity. He wasn't Eragon anymore, he was Colin Addinell and he had to answer to it. He'd have to be more careful. He stopped and waited for the other man. When he arrived, Eragon recognized him as Arnald, Colin's closest friend. _Here we go. _Eragon smiled sadly.

"Sorry, I was a little caught up."

From searching the memories, Eragon knew that Colin still struggled with the loss of his wife. He thought it would be helpful if he ever slipped up because he could explain his behavior away with it. It worked.

"I know." Arnald squeezed his shoulder and his voice grew somber. "She was an incredible woman and she loved you. Just remember that."

Eragon nodded and continued walking. He felt false. Integrating himself in somebody else's body and mind felt invasive and wrong. Pushing that out of his head, he pulled off his helmet. Here was the physical test. If Arya had missed a single detail, he could be found out. To his relief, Arnald barely looked at him. They reached a tent that served as headquarters for meetings and reports and Eragon pushed inside. Before him was a long table with chairs scattered about the room. To the left, an space empty except for a small desk. Behind it sat a squat man with an air of superiority about him. Wimarc Peccoth. Although he looked quite comical in his armor considering he didn't have anything but fat, Eragon knew he was brutal from Colin's memories.

Looking around, he noticed that the other guards posted on lookout were grouped around. Immediately he caught sight of the man Tristan had changed to and reminded himself that Colin didn't know him. It took almost an hour to get up to the desk and give his report. When he did Wimarc sneered at him.

"Addinell. Report."

"All was quiet tonight, sir. I was replaced by Alan Nelond."

Wimarc narrowed his eyes at Eragon's tunic.

"Why is your tunic so ruffled? Can't even take care of your uniform we gave to you, can ya'? Then again, you couldn't take care of your wife so whats a little uniform violation to that?"

Hands gripped Eragon's armor and he felt Alan grab his arm tightly to the point of pain. After a split second of confusion he realized why. This man just insulted Colin's wife's death. Acting accordingly, he tensed his entire body, pulling slightly at the people restraining him. Their grips tightened and he looked at the disgusting man before him. Wimarc sat and watched him, a sly smile on his face. Arnald who was behind him to the right him spoke so only Eragon could hear.

"Don't give him what he wants, Colin."

Eragon feigned controlled anger in his voice when he spoke next.

"Is there anything else, sir?"

Wimarc looked disappointed that he hadn't reacted but he waved him away.

"No, move along please."

Eragon shuffled through the people around him after Arnald squeezed his arm in comfort. He walked out of the tent and headed for his. He searched his memories and found one that was buried rather deep. It was another time he'd been reporting his shift and Wimarc had said something like that. Colin had punched him in the face and it resulted in a vicious beating that took weeks to heal. Through all of it, as Colin cried out in pain, Wimarc had grinned and whispered insults in his ear. Appalled, Eragon made a note in his mind that if there was any extra people after they'd all been given their targets, he'd make sure that they killed that pig. Arnald caught up to him a few minutes later along with a few others.

"One day he's going to get what he deserves, Colin. I'm hoping it will be by your hand." Eragon nodded and tensed his body as if still infuriated. Arnald threw an arm around his shoulders and looked at him. "What do you say we get a drink? It might help dull the rage, eh?"

Eragon almost said yes but he remembered a factor from Colin's mind. The man didn't drink. _Then why is Arnald. . . . _The realization hit him and he glanced sideways at the soldier. Arnald was watching him carefully, waiting. Eragon frowned.

"Phillipa made me promise I'd never get hooked again. It almost ruined my life. I'm not taking that chance again."

His friend continued.

"It would help right now."

Eragon shook his head.

"No. If I start I wont stop. I just need to walk for a bit."

Arnald nodded to him and to himself as if he'd confirmed something. Eragon hoped it was a good confirmation.

"I understand. Take a walk and clear your head for a bit. I'm going to hit the hay."

"Night."

Arnald and the rest of the men headed off to a huge tent Eragon guessed was one of the barracks. _That was too close. _Somehow Arnald had become suspicious in the last hour he'd been there. He was definitely going to have to go over his information. As he passed by a group of soldiers heading the opposite direction, he saw another soldier he recognized as they said something that caused the others to burst into laughter. At least that one was fitting in well. All he could do was hope the others were doing the same.

Taking a deep breath, Eragon looked about him. He had at least thirty minutes to walk about the camp. He went quietly through rows and rows of tents, mapping the camp within his head. It wasn't until he'd gotten rather far away from his own that he started seeing the big ones. The ones that belonged to the Commander, Field Marshal, Captain, and the other officers. The lower ranked officers had one or two guards. But as rank rose, so did the protection. At one tent he found fifteen guards blocking any access to it. Eragon guessed it was there that the Commander was residing. On his way back to his tent, he searched through Colin's memories until he found the names of certain officers. He knew the Commander's name was Ranulf Veci and he was fair if not a bit strict. By the time he arrived back it was almost dawn. He wasn't exactly tired but he wasn't going to get much of a chance to sleep if he didn't do it now.

He stepped into the tent and saw that for the lesser soldiers, almost twenty people shared a single medium sized tent while the elites had large ones for only a single person. He went to the only empty cot and stripped off his armor before he dropped down onto it. Laying our he knew immediately he wasn't going to sleep very easily. It was rock hard and although he wasn't exactly pampered, he wasn't used to this level of uncomfortableness. Closing his eyes, he instead focused on Colin. Surprisingly, after less than ten minutes, his eyes started to feel heavy. A couple minutes later he was asleep.

He awoke to somebody stepping on his hand as they stepped over him. Swearing, he sat up.

"Sorry."

He looked over and saw a burly man stumble somewhat further before he stopped at a cot and collapsed, immediately falling asleep. Shaking his hand out Eragon stood up and slid on his boots. There was only four other people in the tent now and he looked outside to find the sun burning brightly. Stretching his limbs, he walked out into the throngs of enemy soldiers.

**Funnelwebs: **Lol I kind of agree. It's been pointed out to me by a couple people now and so I'm going to slow it down a tiny bit. I think I was sort of in FtP mode because in that they were together already. I'm just impatient lol.

**Dracones: **Yeah that's what happened to Faolin and stuff. And that made my day when I read it. I'm glad you're playing again. I have a guitar but I've never learned to play. I really want to though. And those are two of my favorites by them!

**Avatartlover: **I will actually try to update both every week but The Flip of the Coin is the one I wont write if I get super busy and don't have time. Mostly though, it will come out once a week.

**Silverwing: **Hell no. That's why I dropped down from writing every other day to just once a week. I can write a chapter in an hour easy (without editing and revising lol. That takes a little longer) but I am trying to get really good grades so I can't write as much as I used to. Now I am easily able to get everything done that I need to and still have time to play x-box and hang with friends. And no, here it's GameStop haha.

**My Generation: **It's all good. I understand that people are busy right now and at least you still read and review at all so that makes me happy :) And I had 3 too but one was super easy, another one my teacher loved me and so even though I got a not so great grade, I was still her favorite student, and the last one the teacher hated me for no particular reason and so I barely tried or paid attention. Yeah, AP classes suck.

**Peachesbaby: **IT FRICKEN WAS! OMG I WAS FLIPPING OUT! Haha yeah, they did a good job and Mulan was a bad ass. I really didn't like Aurora though, she was an obnoxious whiner who couldn't do anything. I wish Regina wasn't such a stupid sociopath either but what evs, I guess she has to be for the story to work.

**Lol I like responding like this. It's more fun.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Just really quick overview of my trip. I almost died. It was awesome. Never doing it again. Btw, has anybody else gotten Dishonored? It's sooo effing awesome! I'm on my second play through and going with low chaos so it's gonna be difficult but so far I'm doing alright. Problem is, it's really short. Like I got through it in two days. So if you're thinking of getting it, wait till the price lowers a little. It was good but not sixty bucks good.**

He used Colin's memories to find the mess area and when he was still at least a hundred yards away, he could hear the roaring of rambunctious poeple. When he arrived, he turned the corner of a row of tents, and the sight that met his eyes was impressive. Before him was a sea of soldiers either in line or sitting around makeshift tables that had been crafted after arrival. A long line of people were waiting with metal trays in their hands to get the food from the servers behind another table. Eragon grabbed a tray off the stack and got in line behind them all. He'd only stood there for a couple minutes when Arnald stepped into the line next to him.

"How are you feeling?"

Eragon shrugged.

"Better."

"Good. One day at a time, Colin."

He smiled and a pang of guilt shot through him. This was a truly good friend. A good man. _What's he going to do when I just up and disappear? _They got a bowl of broth and chunk of bread along with a slice of meat. As far as he could tell, it was normal but it had a distinct smell that made Eragon's stomach revolt. He followed Arnald to a relatively empty table and sat down, forcing himself to eat everything on his plate. It tasted strange but wasn't as bad as it seemed at first. As they ate, Eragon made small talk and pointed the conversation to the events of the camp. Like who was doing what and what the plans were now that they'd lost their sorcerers.

He didn't push the topic hard enough for it to be suspicious and soon he didn't even have to say anything. More soldiers had sat down at their table and were joining in, giving their thoughts and observations. He learned more in that fifteen minutes than he had in fifteen hours being there. It turned out that Commander Ranulf was having a council in a few hours. Eragon just hoped that it'd be finished by the time he and his men returned from duty. Having that many gathered together with probably countless guards was not the ideal situation to take them out. After a while, Arnald sighed and stood up with his empty tray.

"Alright, time to get going. We have latrine duty today."

Trying to hide his disgust, Eragon looked down at his tray and picked it up. He followed Arnald to drop it in a large metal tub before they headed toward the back end of the camp. They'd just arrived when Eragon saw a group of soldiers gathered about one. They were rowdy, voices loud as if some were drunk, and were staring down at somebody on the ground before them. A tall man with muddy blonde hair kicked at the helpless man's stomach.

"Stupid, useless, bastard! Your mother should've killed you when she realized what an idiot you are!"

The others laughed and another man tossed an empty bottle to the blonde.

"Here, give him a real reminder."

Chuckling, the attacker flipped the bottle around in his hand and then immediately slammed it across the ribs of the man on the ground. He cried out and that's when Eragon realized it was a boy. Anger roared through him and he started towards the group. Arnald's hand shot out and grabbed him.

"What are you doing?"

_Dammit! _He knew better. He'd realized that this stuff happened all the time here and nobody could really do anything about it. If they did they'd end up dead. He turned to walk away but one of the soldiers in the circle had seen him.

"Hey! You got a problem?"

Blanking his expression, Eragon turned back.

"No."

"That's no sir and If you don't have a problem, why the hell were you coming over?"

Eragon shrugged.

"Just wanted to see what was going on."

The man smirked and shook his head.

"If that's the case, then come and prove it. Let's have some fun and see who can make him scream the loudest."

Eragon hesitated but Arnald pushed him forward.

"Just do it and get out of there. Don't do something foolish and earn lashes."

Eragon sighed and started towards the group. When he arrived he saw the face of a boy that was thirteen. His heart clenched painfully at what he was going to be forced to do. The blonde man stepped back and crossed his arms. Up close, Eragon could see that he was a Captain. The man motioned to the boy.

"You first."

What he did next he knew was incredibly stupid and risky, but he couldn't just hurt the kid. As he moved towards the crumpled form, he whispered under his breath.

"Brakka du baen un heill sem er frethya fra ven." (Reduce the sorrow and heal what is hidden from sight)

He felt strength drain from him and before the boy could give away what had just happened, he drove his boot into his stomach. Although he'd shut off some of the boy's nerves, he still cried out in pain. Eragon stepped back but the blonde smirked.

"Again."

Having the strong desire to break the Captain's neck, Eragon kicked the boy again. He would shield the boy from all pain but if the child didn't react correctly, the other soldiers would be suspicious. Finally after the fourth strike, Eragon had had enough. When the Captain told him to strike again, Eragon did. But as he did, he mouthed,

"Slytha." (Sleep)

This time the boy fell into unconsciousness. The Captain frowned and stepped forward, nudging the boy with his boot roughly. When he found him unresponsive, he turned to Eragon with a smile.

"I figured you to be a worthless weakling but it seems you hit him harder than even I. Your lack of empathy is impressive."

Eragon smiled and shrugged although on the inside his mind was screaming for him to kill the man.

"I do what I must."

The blonde nodded and held out his hand, still grinning.

"I can see that. Captain Elias Vatteville. If you don't already know."

Eragon took the man's hand.

"Er- Colin Addinell."

He cursed silently but Elias hadn't even noticed.

"Intrigued. Tomorrow at noon, come to my quarters. We shall have a discussion on a possible raising of rank. We need men like you, not shriveled, weak willed, prats like Ranulf."

Eragon nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

Elias looked towards the boy.

"Tell you what. You take this boy to his brother can you're out of latrine duty for the rest of the month. But be careful, his brother is a tough one. He might have a go at you."

Eragon frowned.

"Where is his he located?"

Elias laughed and gave him directions to the far left end of the camp before looking disgustedly at the boy still unconscious on the ground.

"This should teach him not to try and steal. You get the food that you earn and his brother doesn't earn enough to feed them both. Stupid fool. We gave him so many opportunities to rise in this army but his so called "morals" wont allow for him to. Maybe he'll reconsider after he's seen what can happen if he doesn't do as told."

Elias turned and started away, his soldiers following him and joking casually as if they hadn't just witnessed the insane brutality of their Captain. Eragon looked at the boy, putting on a look of disgust until the others were out of sight, and then stooped to pick him up. He walked as carefully as he could, knowing that even though the boy couldn't feel anything, he may have broken ribs and they could puncture the lungs. It took him ten minutes to reach the worst part of camp. Even the latrine area looked nicer than this. The tents were filled with holes and they seemed to barely be standing.

He walked to the third tent down and knocked on the wooden post. The man who opened the flap was his age, maybe a bit younger with a strong jaw and deep blue eyes. His hair was black and long. His face turned to horror when he saw his brother. He reached for him but Eragon pulled back.

"Careful, I don't know what's broken. Let me in so I can lay him down." He stepped past and went to a mat that was on the ground. Carefully, he settled the boy onto it and stood to face the brother. "He needs to be healed. Where can I find somebody to do that?"

"There is nobody except the physician of the high ranking soldiers. If we tried to go to him they'd throw us out. Can he heal by himself over time?"

"I-" He was cut off by a coughing fit from the little boy. Eragon looked and saw that his worst fears were confirmed. There was blood dripping down the side of the boy's face and his breath came in gasps. His brother ran and knelt at his side, taking his brother's hand before looking back at Eragon, fear in his eyes.

"Is he going to be ok?"

"If he doesn't get those ribs healed he wont make it."  
Agony filled the man's eyes as he turned back to the boy. Eragon knew that he should just leave. He knew he should just walk away and not risk so many of his own people's lives by revealing anything. He turned to exit but the young boy's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Cass it hurts."

When the older brother answered his voice was shaky.

"I know Leo. I'm so sorry."

"Am I dying?"

After a moment the brother responded again, this time his voice almost inaudible due to the emotion in it.

"No buddy. You're going to be fine. All better. I promise you."

Eragon turned around and watched as Cass cried silently over his brother and then he knew there was no way he could walk away. With swift movements, Eragon closed the tent and tied it shut before walking to Cass. He grabbed the man by the scruff of his collar and looked him in the eyes. Although he struggled violently, Eragon spoke two words and stilled all his movements.

"Blothr sharjalvi." (Halt movement) The man's eyes widened in fear and a small hint of hope. "Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya." (May we be warded from listeners). With that Eragon put the man back to his feet, although he still didn't release his spell. "I will heal your brother, Cass, but you must swear an oath to me that you will not speak of anything I do or say."

"I swear."

Eragon shook his head.

"You must say, 'Eka wilae neo ilerneo abr thornessa orono andlát sé taune eka un du finiarel'." The man opened his mouth to speak but Eragon cut him off. "You should know what you are saying."

"I don't care as long as he stays alive. You may take my very soul if you will just save him."

"When you repeat those words, you are saying 'I will not speak of this or death may take me and the boy'."

Cass looked taken aback.

"So I am signing away his life by saving it?"

"Only if you speak of what happens here."

Cass searched Eragon's eyes as Eragon released him from the spell that had been keeping him still. Finally, Cass nodded.

"Fine. How did it go again?"

For the next fifteen minutes Eragon instructed him on the words and their pronunciations. As soon as Cass spoke them, Eragon went to work on the boy, healing all the internal injuries he'd been forced to help cause. He left the surface wounds so it wouldn't seem as if the boy had miraculously healed. When he stood, Cass looked at him impatiently.

"Is he healed?"

"Yes. Now I would like to question you. Captain Elias tells me you wont do something because a matter of morals. What did he ask you to do?"

"Elias did this? Bastard!"

"Yes, and he forced me to join in. What have you refused to do that caused your brother to be beaten so badly?"

Cass looked betrayed.

"You did this to him!?"

Eragon was getting fed up. He grabbed Cass around the throat.

"I am getting tired of your avoidance, Cass! Yes. I saw them beating the boy and then Elias called me over and forced me to join in. I healed his internal bruising and shut down most of his nerves so he wouldn't feel it as much and after a few strikes I put him to sleep so they would lose interest. Now answer my question."

The brother glared at him several moments more before relaxing and pulling over a chair.

"It's Cassius. And I used to be a Lieutenant to Elias. I didn't realize who he was until one night I saw him beat the life out of a soldier because he'd accidentally bumped into him. When the man's friend tried to take revenge, Elias told me to kill him. I refused. At that, I was given fifty lashed and a week in the stocks. When I got out, he threw that same man in front of me and handed me a tree branch, telling me to beat the man. I refused again. Seventy lashes, a month in the stocks and the stripping of my rank. I hate that it came to this because I know my brother deserves better, but I will not compromise my integrity."

"Why didn't you go to Ranulf? I hear he's a fair man."

Cassius shook his head.

"As much as he is a fair man, he is also a smart man. Elias is his best Captain and everyone respects him. Ranulf was not going to lose that to somebody who could be easily be replaced. And what do you mean you _heard_ that he was fair?"

Eragon sighed. He'd already given away enough that if Cass somehow found a way around his oath, he'd be screwed. He didn't see a reason to not tell him what _he _was doing there. He wasn't going to mention the other men.

"I'm from Carvahall."

Cassius' stood.

"What?!"

Eragon rolled his eyes.

"Sit down. What are you going to do? I could kill you in the time it took you to take a step."

Cass sat carefully, studying Eragon.

"So why are you here?"

"My purpose is not something you shall know. Now tell me, why do you not just leave if you hate it so much?"

"Because I have nowhere else to go. I have been branded." Cass pulled the collar of his shirt down and Eragon's eyes widened. On his right chest was Galbatorix's symbol burned into the flesh. "I can't gain safety because people in this land know to look for it now. He does it on purpose to keep us from running off. Some don't get branded but only the one's that have sworn their allegiance."

"What land did you come from?"

The sadness that covered Cassius's face was instantaneous.

"It had many names, none that really encompassed it's beauty. Before Galbatorix that is. He destroyed everything and slaughtered so many, including my parents and the rest of my family. So many people died and he scorched the land in his effort to eradicate any rebellious people. His dragon's fire could encompass towns."

"Dragon?! There's more than mi- that red one and Eragon's?"

Cass looked at Eragon strangely.

"Of course. In my old land there was several. Galbatorix's was the most destructive and large by far but there were others. Of course they were all killed by him."

Eragon tried to keep his mouth from dropping open. _So many? How could anyone kill a dragon? There was so few left to risk putting them to extinction. _His mind was reeling from the revelation and his heart was skipping beats but he kept his face calm. This was the greatest news he'd heard in a while. If there were dragons there, there could be more here somewhere. Even if they were still eggs. He looked at Cassius.

"So Galbatorix wants this land because he destroyed his own?"

"Yes."

Eragon was silent for several minutes and suddenly Leo spoke.

"Who are you?"

Eragon whirled and saw that the boy was sitting up on the floor, watching him with interest.

"My name is Colin. I brought you here to your brother."

"I don't feel so bad anymore."

Cass started to talk but Eragon interrupted him.

"That's because I was able to get you a healing balm to lessen your pain. You have to promise not to tell anyone though because I would get in a lot of trouble if you do."

The boy nodded and smiled at him. He had the same blue eyes as Cassius but his hair was a golden color.

"Thank you, Colin."

"No problem, Leo." Eragon stood. "I must go, but please keep yourself out of trouble." He glanced at Cass. "If you look like I didn't rough you up, he's going to be suspicious."

Cassius laughed and spread his arms.

"And he knows I wouldn't go down without a fight."

Eragon nodded and looked at Leo.

"I have to hurt your brother to make it look realistic but he's going to be ok."

Leo looked upset but he nodded. With that, Eragon turned to Cass and slugged him in the gut. Doubling over, Cassius coughed and gasped for air. When he stood, Eragon landed a blow across his cheek. A few more hits and then it was his turn. He braced himself as Cassius' blow made him stagger slightly. He pressed a hand to his eye and waited for the pain to recede. When he pulled it away he saw blood on his hand and smirked.

"That's gonna leave a mark."

Cass laughed although his lip was bleeding and readied for another punch. Eragon braced himself again and Cass landed a hit that split open his own lip. Looking at each other, they grinned. Eragon nodded.

"I think we're good although you look much worse than I do."

Cassius shook his head.

"Maybe but that's only because I let you hit me. If it were a real fight, you'd be on your ass in the first five seconds."

Eragon chuckled and turned to leave.

"We'll have to see someday."

As he pushed put of the tent, he removed the ward he'd placed and started towards the river he knew ran through the west corner of the camp. He'd only gotten about halfway there when he was stopped by somebody calling for Colin. He turned and saw Elias standing before a tent with a group of officers. Eragon walked over to the smiling Captain. When he stopped in front of him, Elias clapped his shoulder.

"Look at you! I'm hoping he looks much worse?"

Eragon smirked.

"Of course, sir."

"Good job, Colin. I'm impressed. And don't worry, he wont be a problem much longer."

"What do you mean?"

Elias grinned.

"Well I've put out the order for his death along with that brat Leo. It'll happen tonight. I'm tired of their crap."

Fear for the two brothers shot through him but he kept them hidden.

"Who is going to carry it out?"

Elias shrugged.

"I don't know. I just tell my guys to spread the word and then anyone who wants the reward will pull it off."

Eragon nodded.

"Sounds good. And it can't be traced back to you which is also good."

The Captain laughed.

"I like you, Colin. You're a smart man."

"Thank you, sir."

Somebody yelled for Elias and he answered back. He smiled once more at Eragon before nodding and walking into the tent. The others followed and Eragon paused. This must be the council. That meant that his target was inside. Suddenly it reminded him of his mission. From the look of it, he had less that three hours till his shift. Till the real mission began. _But what about Cassius and Leo?_ He couldn't just let them die. Even if Elias is killed, it doesn't mean that a soldier wont carry out the orders because they might not know of the deaths of the officers and commander yet. Making a split second decision, Eragon turned back and headed for the brother's tent.

He pushed his way inside, surprising the two.

"An order had been put out for your deaths."

Cassius stood, his eyes worried.

"What?"

"Elias just told me. Tonight. You have to leave before midnight."

"Where do we go!"

Eragon's common sense and conscience warred with each other. He swore and then looked at Cass directly in the eye.

"Carvahall."

"But my brand-"

"I will make sure you are not harmed."

"How?"

"Trust me."

Cass took a deep breath and looked at Leo who was studying Eragon.

"Ok."

Leo nodded.

"I trust you too. You saved my life."

Eragon sighed in relief.

"Good. Ok, here's the plan."

**Nostalgic Child: **Like if somebody tried to impersonate your best friend, it'd be almost impossible to get everything right. They'd do something slightly different and you'd notice. Just like small stuff made him suspicious.

**Avatarlover: **Yeah I do usually write in one sitting. We have a writing center thing but I haven't been to it. I really should because apparently they're awesome and can help so I will definitely give it a try.

**Silverwing: **Same! Holy crap I pre-ordered AC:III two months ago and have been waiting soooo impatiently for it's release. Effing October 30th.

**Melandu95: **I wont be until after the two I'm writing are finished because when I do write the epilogue, I want to completely focus on it. It has to be epic.

**Morzan's Elvish Daughter: **I know, especially last episode. I was surprised that she let Henry go. And I can't fricken believe her mom is still alive! And me too! Haha I swear, one of my favorite characters in Merlin is Morganna. She's such a bad ass.

**Ok, so I've recently ran out of movies. I literally have seen every movie on this planet lol. Not really but if you guys know any epically great movies that ARE NOT scary, could you list them in ur review? I am tired of watching the extra lame sh*t they put on Netflix lol.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Next week is going to be crazy because I have an effing annotative bibliography to do and I don't even have my sources plus other homework so I don't know if I'm going to be able to get up any chapters or anything. Sorry about that in advance but I'll try to get it up a little after.**

Nothing went wrong the entire way up to his shift. As quickly as he could, he slid on his armor and helmet, picking his sword up and sliding it into the sheath. He waited for Arnald to get ready and they made their way to the desk that had been taken from the council tent and placed a few yards away. Wimarc was in too bad of a mood from being forced to sit outside to point his brutal comments at any single person. He didn't even barely look at them as they reported in. It wasn't long before Eragon was making his way through the darkening clearing to the trees beyond.

As he arrived at his post, a the man he was replacing turned and scowled. From Colin's memories, he knew that this man, Leofrick Senlis, was in Wimarc's inner circle and did whatever he was told. Trying to keep from starting a fight, Eragon nodded.

"Senlis."

The man crossed his arms.

"Colin, how good to see you again. I'm pretty sure I saw you walking aimlessly last night around the camp. Could it have anything to do with your dead wife? Are you having nightmares again?"

His tone was malicious and cruel and Eragon screamed inwardly because he could do nothing about it. Instead, he acted like he was having trouble containing his anger. Which in this case, he truly was. Leofrick laughed like a possessed man and walked as if to pass him. But as he did, the man took the dull end of his spear and slammed it under Eragon's arm into the pressure point just below the armpit. Pain rocketed through him and he dropped to his knees as stars danced in front of his eyes. He sucked in air as his fuzzy vision slowly cleared and he could see again. Still reeling from the pain, he sat down against the tree and closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

"Eragon?"

Her voice sent electricity through him and everything, even the pain, was forgotten. A weird reaction that scared him as much as it pleased him. He opened his eyes to find Arya standing before him, her hood in her gloved hand. She seemed worried. He closed his eyes again because the pain had returned full force. Pressing his hand to the injury he spoke quickly.

"Heill."

The wound under his arm tingled before the pain dissolved and he was able to relax. He opened his eyes to find that Arya had knelt down and was right in front of him.

"What happened to you?"

Her voice was clear of emotion but her eyes were less passive. He shook his head.

"I'll tell you about it later. Where is everyone?"

"I scouted ahead with a few others and they went back to bring the rest in about thirty minutes. If we start moving before it's completely dark we risk being seen." He nodded and pushed himself off of the tree. She stood as he did. "Why did he do that?"

Eragon smirked.

"Oh you know, I'm better looking and he got mad." She frowned and he rolled his eyes. "It's just the whole thing with. . . you know, since we have a while I can just show you what happened."

"Fine."

For the next couple seconds he blocked his emotions from his mind. When he opened it to her, her presence was welcomed. He played through everything fully until he reached the part with Leo. Skipping over it very subtly, and moving on with the rest of the day. When he claimed he had finished, she spoke in his mind.

"_Obviously you are keeping something from me, Eragon. I didn't see where you received your injuries and there was a difference in the sky from one point to the next."_

"_That's because I don't feel like showing you until you have no choice but to agree."_

"_Eragon."_

"_Arya."_

Annoyance flared through their connection before she broke it off and glared at him.

"What did you do, Eragon?" He didn't speak, settling for just watching her reaction and he saw her eyes narrow angrily. She moved closer so that she was inches from him. "People's lives are at stake Eragon. I swear, if any of my people die, you will answer for it."

He looked away.

"It isn't something I could turn away from Arya._"_

"What wasn't?"

He was silent for a moment before he pushed at her mind. She hesitated and then let him in where he proceeded to show her exactly what had happened. By the time he was done, he could feel the irritation and anger in her. She pulled back and glared at him. Her voice was a whisper, so as not to alert anyone, but she was definitely mad.

"Do you realize the risk you have put _all _of us in?! If they talk-"

"They wont!"

"You don't know that!"

Now he was becoming angry.

"I do! Because I spoke to that guy. I looked him in the eyes and I could see his hatred for Galbtorix."

"It doesn't matter! He could've been acting or playing you so that you wouldn't worry about him betraying you!"

"He swore to me in the Ancient Language. He cannot lie."

"You and I both know how the language can be twisted! You weren't nearly specific enough to stop him from communicating in all ways. Did you even think of the brother telling?"

"I saved his life, Arya! He wont betray me."

She shook her head angrily.

"You put too much faith in people, Eragon."

"And you too little! Did you not see what was happening to that boy? Did you not see that a child was being beaten to death before my eyes? How could anyone, how could you, turn away? A small child who'd done nothing wrong except try to feed himself and he was being battered with glass bottles and steel boots. If you had been in my situation, you would've done the exact same thing!" She looked taken aback and then confused. Turning away, she walked several feet and stood there. After a moment he moved towards her. "Arya?"

When she turned back, she seemed almost ashamed but she hid it well.

"No." Her eyes met his. "I would've let him die." Her voice wasn't accusatory. It wasn't proud. It was regretful. It was as if she'd realized something that she wasn't happy about. She looked at him. "How do you do it?"

He was confused and slightly surprised by what she'd just said.

"Do what?"

"Care."

He just stared. He had no words to explain or answer her question.

"I don't und-"

She interrupted as she looked away again.

"How do you find it in your heart to help somebody you know might not be worthy of your trust? You, a person who knows what this world is, all the horrible things that happen, can just look at a person in need and risk himself to help them. It's baffling to me that you can care so greatly about so many people when others would see you dead because of who you are and what you stand for. Especially the people in that camp."

He looked down and then gripped her arm, making her face him. She met his eyes and he tried to relay his sincerity.

"Because people are worth saving. Even though there is some that aren't, you can't write everybody off because you've been hurt by others."

Emotion played out across her face but he couldn't decipher what it was. She looked down and smiled sadly.

"I feel like that comment was aimed at more than just this."

He couldn't help it, he needed to connect with her in some way. Even the small distance between them felt like too much. He reached out and linked his fingers with her own. She startled and pulled back but he didn't let her hand go. He waited to talk until she looked at him again.

"I don't know what happened in your past that closed you off so much, Arya. I can't claim to even understand what you feel. All I can tell, is that you are afraid." She narrowed her eyes and stepped away. He followed. "Stop it. I don't care how tough you act, you gave yourself away the moment you let your guard down to me. I will respect those boundaries you set but I am going to try as hard as I can to get you to realize that I wont hurt you. Until that time, I'll be right here. Ok?"

She looked as if she wanted to protest still but she didn't do anything except nod. He squeezed her hand and smiled before getting back to the subject at hand.

"Cassius and Leo are going to be coming here one at a time. Leo first. He might even get here before our people come."

He was right, ten minutes later they heard the trampling of leaves a few feet away. Eragon rested his hand on his weapon and Arya moved out of sight in case it wasn't Leo but somebody else. Eragon grinned when he saw the boy and called quietly to him.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

The moment the boy saw him he sprinted to Eragon and hugged him. Eragon laughed quietly and then let him go.

"Did you make it here ok?" The boy nodded and her heart warmed despite her efforts. "Good. Ok Leo, my friend Arya is going to come out here now but don't worry, ok? She's going to help us."

Leo looked about nervously and Arya stepped from the shadows. Immediately Leo took several steps back and watched carefully as she went and stood next to Eragon. Leo studied her and moved closer.

"Is she a Princess?"

Eragon smiled.

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"Because she's so pretty."

Eragon looked sideways at her and then back at Leo.

"She is, isn't she?"

Leo moved forward further and continued to stare at Arya.

"I've never seen somebody so pretty."

Eragon grinned and she felt his knuckles run along the back of her hand.

"Me either."

She elbowed him subtly and stepped a couple inches away. It wasn't that she didn't like it, it was the fact that it was way too distracting. Even though he looked like an old man. Leo grinned and then Arya heard the barely audible footsteps of her people and looked at Eragon.

"They're here."

Eragon knelt down before Leo.

"There is going to be a lot of people coming here in just seconds but they are all good. I promise. They are going to help me get you to Carvahall."

Leo frowned but this time he looked less nervous. Still, as the first came through the darkened woods, she felt a smaller hand slip into hers and squeeze tightly. Panic shot through her because she had no knowledge of how to deal with children. But he didn't seem to need anything but the connection. Eragon noticed and looked at her smiling. Several elves slid from the darkness and approached them. They removed their hoods and Lifean came forward. He looked questioningly at her. Eragon interrupted.

"I need to go back towards the camp a little to intercept Cass so gather everyone here and we shall discuss our findings." He looked at Leo. "You ok to stay with Arya?"

The boy nodded and then Eragon looked to her. "Are you ok?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. I'll be back shortly."

He turned and disappeared into the forest. Lifean questioned her.

"Who is this?"

The boy stuck out his hand and Lifean paused a moment before taking it.

"I'm Leo."

The elf smiled and nodded.

"I'm Lifean."

Leo looked back up at her and grinned. As minutes passed, more and more people gathered around them. As they did, Leo gripped her hand tighter. Finally Eragon returned. Behind him, looking very nervous, was a man a little younger than Eragon. The moment he saw Leo his steps quickened. Eragon made introductions to him and a few others before waving off all questions until later.

"It will be explained. Right now, I need Nari and Niduen to take them to Carvahall where they will be safe."

Cassius whirled.

"What? You promised us safe passage! Now you hand us off to another? Are we your prisoners?"

Eragon sighed.

"Cassius, I have a job to do. These are two of the most powerful warriors we have. They will protect you. I swear it."

"Say it in the Ancient Language."

Eragon chuckled.

"That would be relatively pointless considering you don't know it." When Cassius didn't respond, Eragon sighed. "Fine. Eka finna eom snalgli."

Arya looked at Ergon like he was crazy along with several of the others. Cassius on the other hand, nodded.

"Thanks."

Eragon shook his head.

"See, that's my point. I just told you that I yell at giant snails and you couldn't tell the difference one way or another." Cassius opened his mouth to speak but Eragon cut him off. "No, Cassius. I need you to just trust me as I trusted you. You either go with those two or you go home and fight off your assassins yourself." Cass didn't look happy about it but he finally agreed. Eragon turned to the two elves. "Please take them to Roran and Katrina and tell them I will explain everything when I return."

The elves nodded and Leo and Cass followed them through the trees towards the castle. Eragon looked around.

"We should begin to collect the information. Contact the others and tell them to leave their posts and come here."

Just then Angela pushed through the gathered elves and walked up to Eragon. In her arms was a large basket that she carefully placed at his feet.

"There you are. Just take one and toss it at the feet of a group of guards. It'll knock them right out."

"Thank you, Angela."

The woman nodded and grinned.

"Have fun!"

With that she turned and left back through the elves, disappearing into the trees. Eragon chuckled.

"Yeah, so much fun."

It took almost twenty minutes for all of their disguised soldiers to come to them and they set about finding their partners. Tristan laughed when he saw Eragon.

"You piss somebody off?"

Eragon grinned and shrugged.

"You know how it is."

As soon all were settled, Eragon joined his mind with everyone else's. It would be much easier than him and others trying to explain the map. They set about assigning targets to each pair and by the time they were finished, three pairs were left. Eragon seemed happy for this and he told one pair of a man named Wirmac, along with the man's tent location. He spoke directly to the pair.

"_If there is others around or in his tent, just abort the mission. He's not so important to the point that you should risk you lives taking him out." _

Everything had been agreed upon and by the time they finished, there was less than an hour before shift change. Eragon called for everyone's attention and opened the basket Angela had brought.

"You will each get one of these. I don't exactly know what they are, but all you have to do is toss them at the guard's feet and it will knock them unconscious. Make sure you don't bump it or drop it because then you will be knocked out. Be at least five feet from the guards when you throw it. There might possibly be a situation though. If the council is still in session, then we will have to all go at them together. It will be much harder to keep hidden but it is still doable. I'm hoping that they are finished though. If they aren't find your partner and wait around by the tent. I will set off the signal, which is going to be a flash of the Carvahal insignia in the sky. It will be difficult to see so pay very close attention."

Arya took over there.

"Now, once you have taken out your target, you immediately start towards the castle. We'll have taken down the lookouts and you will have no opposition. But, do not be so hasty in your retreat that you draw suspicion to yourself. Make it out of the camp and into the forest, and then you can move a quickly as you like. Is that understood?"

A quiet murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd and she looked to Eragon. He squared his shoulders and grinned at those gathered before him.

"We are going make history tonight. Good luck."

At his words the soldiers started heading back to their posts, but not before grabbing a single one of Angela's strange contraptions. The elves and other sorcerers drifted back into the darkness of the forest. Before she followed, she turned to him.

"Good luck, Eragon. Be safe."

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Wimarc was his usual horrible self and to Eragon's relief, he was in the council hall, which meant that the meeting had been adjourned. Making his way to his tent, he took off his armor and helmet. His sword he removed as well, keeping only the dagger he'd acquired from the armory. They had only a small window of time when all the officers would be asleep. That was in an hour. He rested on his cot, pretending to be asleep. The time dwindled away slowly. Finally, he rolled over silently and stood, making his way out of the tent. He traveled through the camp until he reached the agreed upon meeting place with Tristan who was already there and waiting. Tristan took out the contraption and gripped it in his hand. Eragon counted down from ten and then whispered the words to create the signal.

It flashed in the sky barely long enough to catch before he released it. Immediately Tristan threw the sphere. This was it. As soon as they heard the bodies hit the ground, they started off at a sprint.

**Nostalgic Child: **I heard that too! I want to see it and probably will sometime this weekend.

**Silverwing: **No because until he found Saphira, he knew nothing of dragons. The world here and the past is not the same as in the IC. And it's branded. Lol I almost fell of a cliff because we were climbing up it and it was really hard haha.

**Elemental Dragon Slayer: **I've seen all of those except for the Expendables, The Watch, and 8 Miles. Oh, and Looper lol. And yeah, it's fun trying to get through the game unseen and not killing anyone but I still don't think it's worth sixty dollars.

**Dessert Maniac: **Lol I'll watch it if it doesn't have subtitles lol.

**Avatarlover: **Yeah it's on Netflix and so I got bored one day and started to watch. It's a good show but I just got bored after like the first hour of each episode. I just think they would shorten it a little but that's just because I'm impatient and already know who the bad guy is half the time.

**Dracones: **Lol I saw like two of the Oceans movies and I LOVE HOODWINKED! Lol that movie is epic. I'll check out The Third Man because it sounds interesting. As for Shawshank Redemption and Star Wars movies, all are epic! And Kung Fu Panda is great as well. Ok, now I usually get annoyed when people guess what I have planned and I feel the need to change it, but this was just too impressive. Like, I actually usually go back a rewrite if people guess what's going to happen but I'm not going to this time because it's just kind of awesome that you figured it out. I started just writing about the little boy and then literally made it so he would have a brother Annabel's age. That's just kind of brilliant how you saw that. Also, in answer to one part of your other review, no, I've never written more than one draft of any chapter of any story lol.

**Also, if you guys don't believe that that hit he took under the arm would hurt that bad, go and watch "Pressure Points of the Torso 4 Level 1" on youtube. Just watch the first three minutes and you'll see it in action and it's just with somebody's fist. Lol I never want to get hit there.**


	13. Chapter 13

**READ: Sorry about the wait. I had a crap ton of stuff to do. Btw, if I put something up here, from now on, it's just going to be important stuff. I wont ramble on about random things in my life. And some of you already might, but for those of you don't read these, please start. This is where I will say if I'm going to be skipping a week or something like that. Also, this chapter is shorter, but this Friday's will make up for it hopefully.**

Bursting into the tent, Eragon immediately took in his surroundings. It was nicer than others and larger, but the furnishings were sparse. Tristan waited at the tent entrance while Eragon made his way swiftly to the Commander who was sound asleep in his bed. He flipped the dagger in his hand and brought it down only to have it knocked aside. Ranulf had heard them enter and was waiting. He stood and opened his mouth to yell for help but Eragon beat him to it.

"Hljödhr." (Silence)

Nothing came from the Commander's lips and he glared angrily at Eragon. Tristan had joined them and was standing just to Eragon's left. Expecting a fight, Eragon raised his dagger. To his surprise, Ranulf just smiled and sat back on his bed, closing his eyes. Tristan looked at him confused and Eragon sighed. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

With that he drove the blade through the Commander's ribs and into his heart. Eragon watched as the life drained out of the man's eyes and then gently lowered the man to his bed. In one last act of respect, Eragon closed his eyes. Tristan was waiting impatiently at the door and Eragon joined him there.

"Ready."

Tristan nodded.

"Ready."

Eragon peered out of the tent flap, and seeing it was clear, pushed out and started walking towards the forest. He listened intently for the alarm that was sure to be sounded if any of his soldiers were spotted but they made it to the end of the camp without an issue. At the same time, he spotted several others already heading for the trees a ways away from them. Exhilaration filled him as he spotted others. They walked and had almost reached the tree line when somebody called out behind them.

"Colin!" Eragon winced and froze. He took a deep breath and then turned to face Arnald. The man seemed confused. "What are you doing?" He looked at Tristan. "And who is this?"

Tristan turned as well, pulling his dagger but Eragon held out his arm.

"Wait, he should know."

Tristan glared at Eragon and looked like he wanted to drive the blade into him instead. Eragon ignored him and instead paralyzed Arnald. Immediately the man's eyes widened and he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Eragon shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I am not Colin. Do not think that your friend betrayed you."

With that Eragon knocked the man unconscious with a spell. Tristan shoved his arm and then turned and started at a run to the forest. Eragon caught up and Tristan questioned him.

"Why would you do that? Now he's going to tell what has happened."

Eragon shook his head.

"He doesn't know what happened, Tristan. They're going to figure it out eventually anyway and he deserved to know that his best friend hadn't betrayed him. We've already done so many questionable things on this mission. I'd rather not add another."

Tristan nodded but didn't say anything else as they slipped into the shadows of the forest and weaved through the trees. It took almost ten minutes to get to the other side and when they did, a wonderful sight met his eyes. Saphira was sitting in the moonlight, head on her claws waiting impatiently for him. The moment he broke from the trees she basically pounced on him and her mind invaded his.

"_Little one!"_

He grinned.

"_Saphira!"_

They conveyed emotions and thoughts as they waited for the rest of the men to arrive. The last pair came and they all grinned excitedly at each other. Two or three had minor injuries which the elves healed quickly as they started back to the castle. As they entered through the passage into the garden, the horns of the enemy blared a warning. A huge smile spread across the faces of him and his men and they cheered in victory. He'd just reached the door to the council hall when Arya stopped at his side. He grinned at her and swore he saw a small smirk on her face before it disappeared.

The group swarmed inside and were greeted with the clapping of nobles and leaders. Saphira landed on the balcony and forced her head through the doors there as Eragon walked purposefully towards Katrina and Roran. Next to them was Cassius and Leo looking in shock as so many of their fellow soldiers entered. He looked at Eragon as he arrived.

"Colin, I know some of these men. How did they get planted in Galbatorix's army?"

Eragon looked to Arya and she nodded, moving closer and starting to speak spells in the ancient language. It took several minutes but soon, he'd gone back to normal. Cassius and Leo stood awestruck as he became used to his own body again. Around them, others followed suit and returned to their normal selves. Eragon stretched out and then frowned. He looked at Cassius and Leo apologetically.

"I promise I will explain everything soon, but for the moment, I must clean this blood and grime off of me. I'd like to put on some fitting clothes as well."

Roran chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you look pretty awful."

Rolling his eyes, Eragon headed for the exit but Orrin stepped in front of him.

"Eragon? Where are you going?"

"I need to clean up."

"Can't you wait until after?"

He hesitated but Saphira spoke quickly into his mind.

"_You told me all of what happened. Go, rest. I will relay it to Islanzadi and she may tell it."_

"_Thank you, Saphira."_

Eragon motioned to Islanzadi, who was standing with Orik.

"Queen Islanzadi will go over everything. I shall be back soon anyway."

Orrin looked displeased but he kept his mouth shut and started toward the table. Eragon turned the corner to reach his room and found Arya leaning on it, waiting for him. He sighed.

"What is it you need?"

She moved out of the way so he could open the door.

"I would like to know what exactly you intend to do with the Cassius and his brother."

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Yes."

He sat down on his bed and pulled off the worn boots that were coated in mud. She stood before him, arms crossed. Finally he shrugged.

"I don't really know. Cass is old enough to support himself and his brother, especially with my help. I can even let them stay in the castle until I figure it out."

"Are you sure that's the best idea? If we-"

Eragon stood and cut her off.

"I just want to clean off and fly with Saphira for a bit, ok? Let's talk about this later."

"This needs to be decided, Eragon." Ignoring her, he pulled off his tunic and dropped it on the floor. She glared at him. "Could you just wait a minute?" He grinned and started to untie his leggings, causing her to frown even deeper. She caught his hand and to stop him. "Eragon! Stop being such a child."

He linked his fingers through hers and tilted his head.

"You should just believe that everything will turn out the way it's meant to. Don't fret about future situations with something so trivial."

She pulled at her hand to no avail.

"This isn't trivial! They could cause problems that need to be addressed. You need to know before you even talk to them."

He just watched her until her hand slackened and ended up just resting in his. Suddenly he realized exactly how close she was. Part of him knew what he did next was a bad idea, but she was just standing there, not pulling away, not moving at all. She seemed to catch on as he stepped closer and she stiffened noticeably. He paused but she met his eyes and he couldn't help it. They were so beautiful. Pulling him in with their intensity until his face was centimeters from hers. Arya's breath hitched and then she seemed to stop breathing all together.

He slid his hand under her chin, softly bringing her closer until their lips touched. Electricity shot through him and he curled his hand around her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. She was still momentarily and then her mouth moved with his. Her arms remained at her sides and he knew that was because part of her was still rejecting this. He released the hand of hers that he held and wrapped it around her back, pulling her closer to him. As much as he wanted this, he knew that he was going to have to be the one to pull away. If she ended it, she'd think him too immature to be around. If he didn't assert his control in this, he would lose her for the unforeseeable future.

So, with all the effort he could muster, he pulled back. Her eyes were still closed when he looked at her and she seemed to be fighting herself over something. He stepped back and she finally looked at him. In her eyes he saw an apology coming and beat her to it. With a smile he nodded.

"I understand, Arya. It never happened."

She studied him for a moment and then turned and walked out of the room. Seeing her go hurt, but he knew he'd just made the right decision. Still, to let out some of his tension, he look at the disgusting pile of clothes on his floor, took off his leggings, and spoke a word.

"Brisingr."

The pile lit up and he watched as they burned to ash. With that, he drew himself a bath and heated it before sliding in. His eyes closed in relaxation as his tired limbs were heated and soothed. As much as he tried to keep her out of his head, it was almost impossible. He was truly going to have trouble keeping himself away from her. When he finally was out and dressed, he stood in front of the mirror and fixed his hair into a somewhat controlled look and then left for the council hall. When he arrived, they were all seated around the table conversing with huge smiles and rowdy laughter. Drinks were being passed around and many were gathered right in front of Orik. He chuckled and made his way to the far end where Roran was sitting with Katrina and Cassius. He sat down and looked about him.

"Where's Leo?"

Katrina motioned back towards the hall.

"I had a room opened up for him and Cass. He's there now because he looked exhausted."

Eragon nodded.

"Very good."

Just then he noticed that across the table, Arya was in conversation with Nasuada. She seemed to feel his gaze and her eyes captured his for a split second until he looked back towards Cass who was listening with intrigue to something Roran was saying. Saphira chuckled.

"_Human emotions are so very complicated."_

Eragon sighed and rested his head on his clasped hands.

"_How so, Saphira?"_

"_It is obvious how both of you feel, yet you separate yourselves because of other people and because of past events. Live in the now, Eragon."_

He scoffed.

"I _am. It's her that is so worried about any time but now. And I can't make her see otherwise."_

"_And yet you continue to try."_

He rolled his eyes.

"_What else can I do? She is my future wife. I must try and make her feel welcomed and comfortable."_

"_By pushing something that might not work?"_

"_Why are you attacking me on this!? I can't help it. She gets to me, ok!?"_

"_Little one, calm yourself. I only wish to avoid seeing her hurt you."_

He pressed his palms into his eyes, headache blooming.

"_I know."_

Saphira was silent for several moments before redirecting the conversation.

"_So what are you planning to do with Cass?"_

"_I plan to ask him what he wishes, tonight."_

"_Do you think he will stay?"_

"_Where else would he go? He has the brand of the enemy. Wherever he goes, he will be killed. Unless we protect him."_

"_Has anyone tried to remove the brand from a marked person?"_

"_Yes, several times. At least that is how the tales go. But they always end with the death of the marked in horrible and grotesque ways. Whatever Galbatorix did to them, it was of dark and cruel intentions."_

They were quiet then, and Eragon had almost drifted off to sleep when saphira interrupted his clam.

"_Arya is watching you."_

Startling, he sat up, realizing that he'd been resting his head on his arms, and looked about. Everyone was still talking, but across from him, Arya was studying him. When he met her gaze, she didn't look away. Suddenly he felt her mind against his and he shut down his thoughts before opening to her.

"_Yes?"_

"_Are you ok, Eragon?"_

"_Yes, I'm just very tired. I haven't had more than 8 hours of sleep in the past 60 hours."_

Arya was now looking at the table so as not to be obvious she was speaking with him.

"_Then you should go rest."_

He chuckled inwardly.

"_But first, I must speak with Cass. You were correct. I should handle this now."_

"_I'll do it. You should retire to your room."_

"_He might not trust you enough to speak."_

"_I believe that he will. Just explain to him that you must rest. All the others who went on this mission were allowed to leave as soon as they had briefed the rest of the leaders. They are now sleeping comfortably in their beds. Go, Eragon."_

He looked at her and she met his eyes once again. Finally, he nodded subtly and she left his mind. He looked over at Cass and Roran and interrupted their conversation.

"Sorry to intrude, but I need to rest. Cass, Arya is going to come and speak with you later about your future here. I would but I feel I might fall asleep if I stay up any later."

Cassius nodded and then smiled at him.

"Of course. I'm just excited to be free and that only happened because of you. So thank you. Arya is the elf across the table, is she not?" Eragon nodded and Cass gave him a smile. "You are good together."

Slightly taken aback, Eragon raised his eyebrows but Roran waved his hand at him.

"I explained to him earlier about your situation."

"Ahhh, ok then. Goodnight, everyone."

With that, he stood and made for the double doors.

**Microbat98: **Because that would take a lot of effort. And some other people may have similar questions so I can just answer them all in one.

**Silverwing: **Lol I wasn't planning on climbing anything. I went the wrong way and ended up doing that. And it wasn't like some traumatic event lol. It was actually super fun after the fact. It was just during that I was freaked out. But thanks. And they do, but Arya from the book put everything below achieving the set goal. Her one and only focus was defeating Galbatorix. And I haven't read past book four of Harry Potter or seen the movies but that's cool lol.

**Dracones: **I did it just so I could write in another romance but it also gets her away from Eragon so I guess it works there too. And I haven't watched it yet but I plan to soon. Also, I'm not planning on making Cass a magician lol.

**Green Magic: **Lol well I said I had to skip a week last chapter. And I did mean to put this up earlier but I've still been super busy. Still, I was looking out for gnomes.


	14. Chapter 14

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She watched him walk out of the room, grateful that she wouldn't have to be so close to him anymore. Even across the table, her heart was racing any time she looked his way. Remembering just how safe she'd felt in his arms. He was so gentle. . . . She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair. She needed to stop this. If she kept him in her head she would be tempted to get up and follow him out of the council hall. Instead, she waited patiently while the festivities continued and when people started to retire, she stood and walked to the other side of the room to where Cass was sitting. He smiled when she took the seat Eragon had vacated.

"Eragon said you would be by to speak."

She nodded.

"We need to discuss what you will do now. What are you good at?"

"Fighting."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Truly?"

He nodded and sat straighter.

"It's really the only thing I'm good at. My father was a master swordsman and he taught me some before he was murdered. If I was further trained, I could become so much better."

She nodded and thought it out for a moment.

"I can train you."

He looked surprised and then doubtful.

"No offense, but-"

Roran cleared his throat loudly.

"I don't think you want to finish that sentence. You wont have a body to wield that supposed skill."

She ignored the annoyance that shot through her and shook her head.

"It's ok Roran, I will show him tomorrow." She looked to Cassius. "I'll have a guard escort you to the beach and you may see for yourself."

"Why the beach?"

She smiled and stood.

"Because it makes it that much harder."

With that, she nodded and left to retire to her room.

She awoke barely rested the next morning and dressed in her leathers. She had thirty minutes before she needed to meet Eragon and as she decided to head down early just to rest a little longer. But when she arrived, she saw that he was already there, sitting in the sand with Saphira at his side. He flicked sand at the dragon and she retaliated by clawing a huge pile of it on top of him. He laughed and stood, shaking the sand out of his hair. Saphira snorted and then her head turned and one pale blue eye met Arya's.

Eragon turned as well and his smile widened, eyes sparkling in the sunlight. He waited till she had reached them and then sat back in the sand. He motioned for her to sit next to him. She hesitated, knowing that being this close to him wasn't the best idea, and then pushed the fear aside, sitting and pulling her knees up to rest her chin on. He didn't look at her as he spoke.

"Didn't sleep well?"

She frowned and kept her eyes on the crashing waves.

"I slept fine."

He was silent for a moment and then she felt his fingers link with hers. She stiffened but he just rested his hand on hers. He didn't move or speak. He just sat and watched the ocean. She should've pulled away but there was really no harm in it. And it felt. . . right. When he pulled back suddenly, she was confused. At least until she heard the four pairs of footsteps in the sand a hundred yards back. Immediately she was grateful for his swift reaction although it was probably Saphira who had pointed them out. Eragon stood and went to meet them while she continued to sit and stare out at the sea. It wasn't until Leo skidded to a stop next to her, sending sand over her leggings, that she shifted her gaze.

"Leo!"

Cass ran over and pulled his brother back.

"I'm so sorry. He was just excited to see you."

Looking at the boy, her heart softened. Leo was looking down ashamedly and fidgeting with his hands. She smiled and placed hers over both of his and waited for him to look at her.

"It's ok."

He grinned and looked back at his feet. Still smiling, she stood and walked a distance away. Cass glanced at Eragon.

"What are you doing here?" Right after he finished, he quickly added. "Um, your majesty."

Eragon burst into laughter.

"Just because you now know who I am, it doesn't mean you need to treat me differently. And Arya is training me as well."

Cass narrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you not very good?" Eragon's mouth dropped open and anger flashed through Arya. This boy assumed too much. To think Eragon a novice just because he was being taught by a woman. . . Cass' eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him as if trying to take back what he said. "No, noo, I apologize. Again, I have judged too harshly."

Eragon looked at her, amusement replacing the shock.

"I'm surprised you haven't killed him yet, Arya."

Cass looked at her nervously but she just shook her head.

"His ignorance will be proven in time. No need to cause him injury." Cassius stepped back slightly. She looked to Eragon. "Test his skill. Let's see what he can do."

Eragon unsheathed his sword and stepped forward into position. Cass hesitated and then did the same. She stood off to the side and Leo joined her. Eragon studied Cassius' stance and then shifted his subtly to be more effective against it. _Good. _Cass struck first with a powerful blow that Eragon blocked easily. He didn't counter, only staid back and waited for Cass to attack again. He didn't disappoint, slashing down with good speed. Eragon knocked it away. Strike after strike, Cass swung and Eragon parried with ease. After ten minutes Arya intervened.

"That's good." Cass was gasping for air like he'd just run miles at a fast jog. She walked over to them and faced Cass. "You have some raw talent, yes, but you are from from mastery. And your endurance is pitiful. How is that so? I was told you were rather high in rank at one point. You must've been in shape to achieve that."

Cass dropped his sword into the sand and rested his hands on his knees.

"I was kept from duty after the stripping of my rank. I basically ran errands for the officers and tried to avoid getting thrown in the stocks. Besides, my stamina isn't that bad."

Eragon snorted although he was breathing quicker than normal.

"Cassius, your stamina is horrible."

She looked at him.

"You don't have room to speak yet, Eragon."

He made a face at her and then his eyes caught something in the distance. He grinned and then waved.

"Anna!"

Whatever emotion shot through her, she didn't try to understand it. Instead, she looked over to see Annabel walking towards them through the sand. Anna smiled at them both and then her eyes landed on Cass and Leo. She looked at Eragon questioningly.

"New additions?"

Eragon nodded.

"Yeah. What are you doing here so early?"

She shrugged.

"I wanted to watch you two fight. It's educational and just all around incredible."

Eragon smirked.

"Well of course. It's me."

Anna chuckled and Eragon joined in. She interrupted.

"Very mature, Eragon. Now step back and give Annabel your sword. It's time to show Cassius that he isn't as great as he thinks. And that women aren't just housemaids."

Cass opened his mouth to speak but Eragon cut him off.

"Just accept it Cass. You spoke out of turn and this is your punishment. Just feel lucky that she isn't kicking sand into your mouth."

Arya rolled her eyes.

"You started it."

He shook his head and passed his sword to Anna. She in turn, faced Cass and he got into position. Just as Arya had taught her, the girl watched until she understood the opponent's stance and then shifted her own as Eragon had. Immediately Arya knew the outcome of the duel. Cassius might be stronger, but Anna was quicker. And she had techniques that Cass knew nothing of. Annabel was the first to strike this time, quickly lunging and then reversing into a spin before slashing at his side. Stumbling backwards, Cass barely blocked before her sword struck him.

Immediately Anna hit again, this time her blow aimed at his head. He parried and countered but she'd already ducked and slipped behind him. He spun around and blindly stuck out his sword to block whatever was coming. Anna's sword glanced off his and skidded down the blade until it slammed into his hand. He yelled out and dropped his sword as bones cracked in his hand. Even as he doubled over, pulled his hand to his chest, Annabel leveled the blade at his throat.

"Dead."

Cass looked at her in awe and then winced as pain shot through him. Eragon waited a few seconds before stepping forward and placing a hand on Cass' wrist. Within seconds he'd healed the bone and Cassius was twisting his hand about making sure it all worked properly. He looked humbled.

"It seems I have misjudged on a biased opinion. I promise to not make that mistake again."

Arya nodded and then looked to Eragon.

"Now, since this is actually Eragon's practice time, you two may stand to the side and wait until he's finished."

Annabel nodded and stepped back towards Saphira. Cass looked nervously at the dragon and went the opposite direction. Saphira snorted and then rested her head on the sand to watch the practice. Eragon took his sword back from Annabel and brandished it at Arya with a grin. She unsheathed her own and got into stance, ignoring his playfulness. Sighing, he followed. She waited for him to strike but he stayed where he was.

She watched him closely. This was different than the other times. He was planning something. Instead of giving his position away, Eragon remained perfectly still. At least he thought he did. The problem was that she could see everything. His body was tense, preparing to block any movement. But it was also leaning slightly to the left. That told her all she needed to. She walked towards him and struck just as she knew he expected. He blocked and twisted his sword around at great speed, spinning to the left and striking at her calf. Arya simply placed her sword in his way and it collided before skidding his off and causing him to stumble. Immediately her blade was at his throat. He sighed and knocked her weapon to the side.

"Will I never land a blow?"

She looked to the side to see that Cassius was practically gaping and then she looked back to Eragon.

"On any human, it would be an impossible move to stop, Eragon. I only saw it and blocked because I am quicker."

Shaking his head, Eragon got back into stance.

"Never mind. Let's continue."

They continued on, her beating him each time. It seemed as if he was trying several new things because a lot of the moves and steps he was making were unique in a way she'd never seen. But every time he failed, he seemed to try less. He tried something again and she put him on his back for the third time. Shaking the sand off of him, he stood.

This time he struck fast at her head, his movements sloppy. After several moments of him swinging at her like a child with a stick, she grabbed his sword wrist and slammed her pommel into his jaw. She'd had enough of this and she wasn't going to contain her rage any longer. Reeling backwards, he tried to block her next strike, but she wasn't practicing anymore. He needed a lesson. She grabbed his wrist again and this time, she twisted until he gasped and dropped his sword. She then grabbed his collar and pulled him so that their faces were inches apart and her sword was pressed against his neck. His eyes were a mix of confusion and fear and he was trying to pull away from her. She switched to the ancient language and started to speak.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He was dejected of course. He'd really thought that would work against her. He'd been testing different moves and trying to figure out any that would surprise her. But of course, she would block all attempts. He turned and walked back, getting into position again. When he struck, he knew it wasn't with his greatest effort. And he continued like that. This felt pointless. He was striving to defeat an impossible opponent and it was beginning to wear at him. Still lost in his annoyance, when she grabbed his fist and slammed her sword into his face, shock was the reigning emotion.

He brought up his sword to protect himself but she grabbed his wrist again. When she started to twist he knew he was in trouble. He looked in her eyes to see what she was doing, but all he saw was a passive tenseness. Finally when the pain became too much, he did as she wished, dropping his weapon. She grabbed him and pulled him inches from her but for some reason, he knew it was not for a good reason, especially when the blade of her sword pressed against his neck, breaking skin. When she started to speak in the Ancient Language, he knew she was angry.

"Idiot!"

He switched too.

"What?"

She glared at him and finally all the anger that she'd been holding back was released into the open. He realized it wasn't just anger, but fury, and his fears heightened. She continued.

"You are given such great talent, and yet you let petty emotions bring you into a state of weakness. You relinquish effort in the face of failure and act as a spoiled infant. You are a King, Eragon, and you must act as one. So many people rely on your strength and your courage to guide them. Is this the example you wish to show others?"

He was shocked but he tried to defend himself.

"It was one little slip up."

"One slip up will cause your death and the death of others. And it wasn't just one. Each time that you failed you tried less. It was pathetic to see."

With that, she shoved him back and started towards the castle. He watched her go and then looked to Saphira.

"_She's right you know, Eragon."_

He consented.

"_Yes. I know."_

"_What are you going to do?"_

"_Let her cool off. I'll talk to her tonight. Right now I figure that since they're here, Anna and Cass should be trained."_

"_Don't put it off for so long that it seems you do not care."_

"_I wont."_

For the first time Eragon looked at Cass and Anna. They were watching him with different expressions covering their faces. Cass was shocked. Annabel on the other hand had a look on her face like, 'serves you right.' He rolled his eyes and she held up her hands.

"Hey, you can't blame her for getting angry. You looked like a flailing monkey."

Cassius looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you talking about? That was amazing!"

Annabel smirked and patted Cass on the shoulder.

"If you'd seen him fight before now, you would've proceeded to throw rotten vegetables at him for how awful he was."

Cass didn't seem fazed.

"Well I think it was brilliant."

Eragon shook his head and went to pick up his sword. He turned to the two.

"Lets not waste any more time. Stances."

He walked through the castle until he arrived at her door and knocked softly. She didn't answer for so long he figured she was either gone or ignoring him, but finally, the door slid open. Arya was standing there, arms crossed, with annoyance plastered all over her face. She glared at him and he sighed.

"Look, I just came to apologize, ok? You're right. It was immature of me to react as such. I swear to you, it won't happen again." She nodded and made to close the door but he stopped it with a hand. "Arya wait." She did. Her face was now passive but her eyes were slightly tired and he realized then that he'd woken her. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had been asleep."

She shook her head and looked down for a moment.

"It's fine."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Arya, what is it?"

When she met his eyes again, they were clear of everything.

"Nothing. But I would like to be alone so if you'll please leave me. . ."

He shook his head.

"Something is obviously bothering you."

"But it is still none of your concern."

"Arya-"

"Stop it. If I wish for your thoughts I'll ask. Leave."

She closed the door and he fought the urge to kick it. She was continuing to shut him out and although he knew he didn't deserve her trust, it would still have been nice if she'd speak with him. As he headed for his room, a runner called for him.

"King Eragon!" He turned. "Lady Katrina asks for your presence in the old council hall."

He frowned.

"What for?"

"They didn't say. They just asked for you."

Eragon nodded and the runner went on his way. Walking swiftly, Eragon arrived in good time. He entered the room only to see what was lying about and turn away as quickly as he could.

"Stop right there."

He winced and turned back to Katrina. She was standing by a table that was filled completely by fabrics of all colors. With her was Angela and along the side of the room, several women waited. He looked about and groaned.

"Not today, please not today!"

Katrina smirked and shook her head.

"Eragon, your wedding is in less than a month. The proper attire must be made."

He glared at the rainbow of color.

"Why does it have to be today? How about tomorrow?"

Angela waved away his comment.

"Stop your whining and come over here."

Just then the door opened. Eragon turned to find Roran grinning like an idiot. His cousin snorted when he saw Eragon's face.

"I look forward to seeing you try on pretty clothes, Eragon."

"Shut up, Roran. You will do this too."

Roran nodded.

"True but I will not tell anyone when I'm going to be fitted. None will be able to see."

Katrina interrupted them.

"That's enough. Eragon, you have a wide array of options on how you wish this to look. It will of course, be dominantly blue, but the rest is yours to decide."

He held up his hands in defeat.

"I know nothing of clothing! How am I supposed to figure this out?"

Angela tilted her head and then grabbed a measuring tape from one of the lady's.

"How about this. I take your measurements and then you get to leave. Of course, this also means that you have no say whatsoever in what your outfit shall be. I have full authority and you must wear what I make."

Eragon grinned.

"Perfect!"

Katrina looked horrified and she held up her hands.

"Wait a moment. Eragon, you have no knowledge of what she will do! What if she makes you look a fool?"

Eragon shrugged.

"From what I've heard, she is always right. So who am I to say she cannot make my attire?" He turned and shoved at Roran who looked somewhat disappointed. "No show this time, brother."

Angela grinned and motioned for him to step up on the stool before him. Doing as he was told, they began the painstakingly slow process of measuring. When they'd finished he stretched out his arms and legs and jumped to the floor.

"Thank you all so much. I look forward to seeing the finished product."

With that, he walked out of the room and made for the Dining hall.

**Microbat98: **No, probably not but nothing's for sure right now. Yeah, for some reason that year is always hard.

**Silverwing: **Lol Arya isn't really jealous of anything at this point. She doesn't know what she feels so even though Anna might bug her, she's not scheming to get rid of her or something haha. I read Harry Potter up to book four and then I got bored. I've seen parts of the movies lol but I had no clue what was happening so I gave up. And I read Twilight but it made me want to vomit on myself. She's a horrible writer and Vampires don't effing sparkle. It's the stupidest thing ever.


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok, so I'm having trouble getting both stories done in a week. I'm putting up another poll if you'd all like to keep things as they are or if you want me to switch off stories every Friday. Like this week I'll do "An Unwanted Bond" and then next week I'll do "The Flip of a Coin" and so on and so forth. **

He slammed his blade down on hers and she spun and swung at his side. Quick as he could, he pulled back and blocked her strike. She circled him and he smirked. Of course if she wanted, she could beat him in a split second. But with her restraining herself as she always did, it seemed he was getting faster. She narrowed her eyes at him and then attacked in a quick succession of blows that succeeded in knocking his weapon aside and allowed her to place the tip of her own at his throat. He continued to smile and pushed her sword away. He was dead tired and his muscles hurt but even that little bit of knowledge that he was gaining skill.

"I've never been able to block that before today." Arya ignored him and got into stance. He shook his head and dropped his sword into the sand. "No way. I deserve a reward for that. And I don't think I'll make another round, I'm about to pass out." He headed for the water but then looked back and held out his hand. "Come on, Arya. You know you want to."

"I'd rather stay dry, thanks though."

He smiled.

"I promise I will not dunk you under the water. Or splash you."

"You expect me to take you at your word?"

He repeated himself in The Ancient Language and then headed for the water, not even bothering to check if she was following. He waded into the water, the coolness sliding across his ankles. He didn't hear her enter behind him and he had to admit it was a let down. But suddenly she was beside him. His heart skipped a beat and he glanced at her. She was staring out into the distance as if searching for something. Ever since she'd stormed off the beach two weeks before, things between them had been different. She'd been more reserved and hardly looked at him. He needed to know what was wrong but to ask might cause her to push him further away.

The warm breeze blew across his face and through his hair as he pondered what to say. She remained silent and still next to him. Finally he decided to risk it. But so that she couldn't walk off, he started to walk around in the shallow water. After a moment, he positioned himself behind her, in her path of escape. She looked down.

"You realize that if I want to leave, you wont be able to stop me. Just ask what you wish to ask."

He moved closer.

"Last week," He paused when she stiffened and then he stepped forward and reached for her hand. She didn't pull away. "why did you become so upset? It was a failure on my behalf, but not one to cause such a reaction in you."

She sighed.

"I don't wish to talk about this."

"I know. But I'm asking."

She didn't respond for several minutes and he waited patiently, thumb rubbing along the back of her hand. She took a deep breath.

"Ever since I came her, my dreams have been filled with horrors of the past. When Galbatorix first sent others to this land, almost twenty years ago, I was traveling through the desert with an elf. His name was Faolin. We were. . .together." Jealously shot through him unexpectedly and he wasn't able to stop himself from tightening his grip on her hand. "He'd gone ahead to check for any traps or ambushes that might be waiting and never returned. When I arrived upon him, he was dead." Eragon could've sworn he heard her voice shake slightly. "Durza had slaughtered him."

"I am truly sorry, Arya."

She looked at him.

"Even though my nightmares always start with him, Eragon, they end with you."

He didn't know what to say.

"Arya. . ."

She shook her head.

"I'd had a dream that night that you died at the Red rider's hands. He was quicker and you had no chance. I just. . . when you weren't trying, I saw it over in my head. How if you didn't try and improve, you might be killed. I lost my patience because I'd rather you didn't die, Eragon."

He took a deep breath and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Arya went willingly although she kept her hands at her sides.

His chest felt like it was on fire with it's overload of emotions. She'd just shown more of herself to him than ever before. That she cared at all was a powerful thing.

"I'm not going to die, Arya."

She didn't respond, only stepped back and looked at him.

"I know. I'm going to make sure you are unbeatable. Come on."

He walked, more like dragged, himself to the castle as Arya stayed behind to teach Anna and Cass. His body ached horribly but he didn't mind as much as he usually would. She'd let down that wall that closed him from her for just seconds, yet he saw so much he hadn't known. He walked inside and headed for his room. He needed to lay down and relax. Just as he turned the corner he ran into Angela. She was passing by but he stopped her.

"How is the wedding attire coming?"

Angela frowned as if confused.

"What do you mean?"

"How far are you on the attire?"

Angela shrugged.

"How should I know?"

A little spark of nervousness shot through him.

"Because you said you'd make it!"

Angela snorted.

"I did no such thing. Now move out of my way."

Pull blown panic arouse now and he whirled to follow as she passed.

"What do you mean you did no such thing!? You told me you had it handled!"

Angela laughed.

"I think you must be tired from your lessons. Or you're just crazy."

"Angela you said yo-"

She cut him off, annoyed.

"I said nothing of the like. Leave me."

He stood stock still and watched her walk away. Since Saphira was off hunting, he had to deal with the worry himself. _Katrina will know what to do._ He moved swiftly through the halls until he reached her rooms. Knocking loudly, he waited impatiently for the door to open.

"Katrina!"

Finally the door opened.

"What is it?"

"Angela said she has no clue what I was talking about when I asked her about my attire for the wedding!"

Katrina's eyes opened in shock.

"What! But there isn't time now to make one! What do you mean she doesn't remember?!"

Eragon held out his hands helplessly.

"I don't know!"

Katrina pushed past him.

"Come on, we're going to have to work insanely quick if we want this to be ready by the end of this week."

Eragon followed her till she reached the older room that they'd filled with all the colorful fabrics. The entire way, worries and fear shot through him as he thought of what could happen if things went wrong. He'd been so lazy and now he was paying for it. What a great King he was. Katrina walked into the room and Eragon was right behind her. But when he entered, what he saw confused him. It took several moments for him to realize what had happened. Angela, Roran, and Orik were all seated about a table looking at him and laughing. Katrina turned around and grinned at him.

"Sorry Eragon. But we figured it wouldn't hurt for you to see what could happen when you slack off."

Shaking his head, Eragon ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"I guess I deserved that. So it is ready?"

Angela stood and motioned towards a length of cloth that was covering something on the table.

"Of course."

Eragon stepped closer and reached for it. Angela smacked his hand and he jerked it back.

"Hey!"

Angela shook her head.

"I'll remove it! You need to do it properly to receive the full effect."

Eragon rolled his eyes. It seemed like a load of manure but he was willing to go along. Angela pulled the fabric back, unveiling what he would be wearing as he married Arya. The first thing he noticed was the brilliant blue that matched Carvahall's color. The tunic was of expensive silk and silver thread that made intricate designs on the sleeves. It was quite amazing. The leggings were a midnight black and laying beside everything was a side cape of the same blue as the tunic. The clasp was a shimmering, silver, coiling dragon. What caught his attention though, was the blue sapphire in the place of the dragon's eyes. He smiled. Saphira would be pleased.

He smiled at Angela.

"It's incredible."

Angela laughed again.

"Oh, just wait. We have a gift from the dwarves that will blow you away."

She walked to a storage room within the chamber and walked out with a cloth-wrapped object. Pulling off the cover, Eragon's mouth went dry. It was a breastplate of pure silver with engravings that created a beautiful, if abstract, design. The shoulder guards were uneven as the right had less there in order to enable full motion of his sword arm. The left side was a full plate that continued the design on the breastplate. Eragon looked on in awe until finally Roran kicked at him.

"Put it on!"

Eragon looked to Angela and Katrina. They both nodded and Katrina motioned to the storage room.

"Go ahead. You can put it on in there."

He picked up the leggings and tunic, moving to the room and taking off his clothing. Whispering a spell, he cleaned himself of the sweat and grime from fighting and then pulled the legging up. He slid the silky soft shirt over his head and then walked out of the room. Angela was holding the armor. It took a few minutes, but when they finished, it fit perfectly. Katrina clasped the half-cape to his right shoulder and stood back. Roran whistled and looked at Orik.

"That armor is stunning." He looked at Eragon. "Hey, it makes you actually look presentable to other humans. Well done, Angela."

Eragon glared amusedly at Roran but Katrina just ignored the comment.

"You look brilliant, Eragon. Angela, you did a wonderful job."

The woman shrugged and headed for the door.

"I know."

Eragon looked in the mirror set against the far wall and smirked. He did look good. Katrina picked up a golden box from the table and held it out, opening the top for him. Inside lay a crown of gold. On the crown there were diamonds and sapphires that created a scene of picturesque beauty. There was really no way to describe it except to say that it was unmatched by anything he'd ever seen.

"And that is our gift."

Eragon turned to find Islanzadi watching from the doorway.

"Thank you. It's wonderful."

Arya's mother nodded.

"I came here to speak with you, actually. After the wedding, we would like you to come to Ellesmera to celebrate with the rest of our people."

Eragon was surprised but he nodded.

"Of course. While I am gone, Roran and Katrina can rule in my place."

Islanzadi bowed her head.

"Very well. Good day, Eragon."

When she left, he turned to find the others staring at him like he was stupid. Roran looked angry.

"How could you agree to go there! This could be some sort of trick, Eragon!"

Truthfully it hadn't even crossed his mind. He made a face at Roran.

"Seriously, Roran? How could you think so little of them?"

Katrina interrupted.

"We don't think little of them, Eragon. It's quite the opposite. They are wiser and stronger than us. The possibility that they could be manipulating us all has never completely left anybody's mind. It just all seems slightly suspicious."

Eragon sighed.

"You don't know them."

Orik stood from where he'd been sitting.

"And neither do you."

Eragon looked at him.

"Actually, I do. You may only see their power and brilliance and of course, it is intimidating, but do you know their hearts?" He thought back to his talk with Arya and sighed. "I've seen it, if only in part."

Roran's brow furrowed and then a look of realization crossed it.

"Arya. You love her don't you?"

Eragon's head shot up and he shook his head.

"No, I just trust her."

Roran sighed.

"I know you too well, brother."

Eragon ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"You know nothing."

Orik walked around the table and headed for the door. He paused as he passed Eragon and looked at him.

"Did you ever think that she may be playing you? To win you over? To get you to trust her? Love her?"

Eragon shook his head vehemently.

"How dare you? I thought you believed in their sincerity!"

Orik looked plainly at him.

"I did. But that request. . . . It just seems too. . . convenient."

With that, the dwarf walked out of the room. Eragon, ignoring Roran's effort to speak with him, removed the armor and laid it on the table. He went to the room he'd changed in and returned to his normal clothes. He passed by Roran and Katrina without speaking and headed for his room. He didn't believe it. He couldn't. But maybe . . . . .

**-A-R-Y-A-**

It was almost time to go to the dining hall. There was less than a week till her wedding, and the days leading up were all supposed to be celebration. She hadn't seen Eragon the whole day and it surprised her. She figured he'd want to speak with her at some point about what they'd spoked about. She wasn't planning on speaking further on it, but she'd expected he'd try. The fact that he didn't was confusing. Still, she made her way to the hall. When she arrived, people were gathered in groups and some had started to take their seats.

Eragon was nowhere to be found, but the room had a strange atmosphere. She studied the crowd again and realized that although people were gathered together and speaking, it was in low voices and with subtle glances. She frowned and found her mother in the crowd. Walking to her, she questioned the reason.

"Why is the room so tense?"

Her mother shrugged.

"I'm guessing it's because they are doubting our intent."

"What? Why would they?"

"Because I asked Eragon to come to celebrate at our home after the wedding."

Arya's eyes widened and she wanted to smack her mother. She kept her voice low.

"Why! Why would you do that?!"

"Arya contain yourself. This will be the final thing we do to prove our loyalty to this treaty. Eragon trusts you and so he will come. The others might doubt, but they will know the truth when he returns home safely."

"You didn't even discuss this with me!"

Islanzadi held up her hand.

"This conversation is over for now. It is time to feast."

Arya sat between two other elf nobles and ignored the quick glances from the humans around the table. Eragon was still not there. The meal was almost halfway over when he finally showed up. He didn't meet her eyes as he sat down and barely picked at his food. Suddenly, to her left, she heard a commotion. looking over, she saw a Surdan noble facing one of her elves. The man was pointing an accusing finger and speaking angrily. The elf stood and towered over the now cowering man. Islanzadi called for the elf to sit but as he did, Orrin stood.

"No, the man is right. You all are planning on taking the King of an entire kingdom from his home into yours. It is very suspicious."

Islanzadi frowned.

"Do not insult us in such a way, Orrin."

Orrin glared at her mother.

"How is questioning your motives an insult? You, the high and mighty elves, shouldn't care what a puny human claims. So what? Do you just not want to have to defend yourselves because you have no defense? What is your plan for King Eragon? Have your daughter entrance him so that he is her little puppet!?"

Her mother stood, eyes burning with rage.

"How dare you!"

Orik sighed.

"As much as I think he went too far, it is quite suspicious of you to ask a King to come with you to Ellesmera."

A murmur of agreement went around the room and Orrin smiled.

"So I think you have some explaining to do. Why do you wish Eragon to come to your kingdom? What is your plan?"

As the argument continued, Arya watched Eragon. He was looking down at his food with disgust. Finally, he stood slowly and waited in silence until everyone noticed him and quieted down as well. When he spoke his voice was cold yet passive.

"I am appalled by the distrust in this room right now. The elves are in danger as much as we are. It would be massively foolish to make an enemy of so many. We have just signed a treaty of peace and yet here you all are, pointing fingers at them. It's disgusting." Eragon looked to Orrin with anger in his eyes. "And do not speak of me as if I wasn't here. I am not a child and I can rule my own mind." He looked at her. "_Nobody_ owns me."

At that he walked from the room. The room was silent from then on. Only quiet whispers and annoyed glares. Finally, she felt it a right time to leave and headed towards Eragon's room. She understood why he'd been upset at the others, but when he'd looked at her. . . His eyes had been confused, resigned, angry. And she didn't understand. When she arrived, she knocked quietly.

"Leave."

"Eragon, it's me."

He was silent for a moment.

"Leave, please."

Frowning, she whispered as spell and watched as it destroyed the spell already placed on the door. She stepped inside and Eragon looked at her from where he was resting on his bed with an annoyed frown.

"Was that necessary?"

"Yes. What is wrong with you?"

He looked away.

"Nothing."

She walked over and sat cross-legged on his bed, waiting for him to look at her.

"Eragon."

He groaned and then looked at her.

"Please just go."

"No. Why are you upset with me?"

"I'm not."

"Don't insult me by lying to my face."

He looked at the ceiling and was quiet for a while before saying,

"As much as I don't believe that the elves have an ulterior motive for coming and that your mother has an ulterior motive for asking me to come to your home, it doesn't mean you don't have one for seeming to care for me."

She fought the desire to stand up and walk away. Instead she glared angrily at him.

"What do you mean?"

Eragon looked at her and sighed.

"Arya, you are just so. . . . perfect. For you to even speak with me is a gift. But for you to care? This is all an arrangement to you. Your motives are good because it is you trying to protect your people. But to me. . . knowing that. . . I just. . I wish I wasn't left here actually wanting you. Truly wishing that I could have you."

His honesty made it impossible to speak. He'd just blatantly proclaimed his desire for her and he felt that she couldn't care less. As much as she didn't want him to know how she truly felt, she couldn't allow him to believe she felt nothing at all. She reached for his hand and linked her fingers with his own.

"Eragon sit up." His fingers reacted at her touch and he closed his eyes, trying to pull his hand away. She grasped it tighter. "Eragon."

When he didn't move, she did. She moved closer, leaning over him, and used her free hand to tilt his head towards her. His eyes shot open just as she kissed him. His entire body tensed and his hand tightened almost painfully on hers. After a moment it slipped from hers and he slid both his hands into her hair and pulled her closer. His mouth moved softly against hers with perfect rhythm and she fought to keep her common sense from shutting off. But every move of his lips sent chills through her. It was impossible to pull away. Especially because right then he rolled so that she was under him.

He moved to her neck and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him. His teeth ran along her skin and he moved to her collarbone before returning to her lips. She kissed him back hungrily. She couldn't help it. A knock at the door ruined it all. He pushed off of her and looked behind him dazed. She wasn't too much better, her brain still foggy. After the second knock, he seemed to regain his bearings.

"Yes?"

"Eragon."

It was Roran by the sound of it. She winced and stood up next to Eragon.

"I'll go out the window."

She was passing him but he gripped her arm and yelled to Roran.

"Hang on. I'll open it in a moment."

With that, he kissed her again. She breathed him in but when Roran knocked again with annoyance, she pulled back and met his eyes. They were excited to the point that they seemed to shine. She couldn't help but smile slightly before walking quickly to the balcony and closing the door behind her. Quickly as she could, she started to climb to the next floor.

"Arya?"

_No. _Hoping against hope that it wasn't who she thought, she looked to the right. Three balconies over, her mother stood with surprise on her face.

**Silverwing: **Lol why would that be inappropriate? And Eragon is irrationally emotional in the IC series sometimes. I'm even taking it down a notch but it still has to be in here. And I saw blade. It's totally BA.

**Avatarlover: **Lol I trolled him :P and I got a 100% on my last one so that was awesome. I just turned in my research paper so I'll get that back at some point soon.

**Tamerlain000: **Soon ;)

**Dracones: **Lol I'd probably do that as well. That's why I thought of it :D

**Tamerlain75: **Haha I did catch that :) and soon

**Joda-Eragonsson: **Lol yes, I said it in the very first AN of this story but I'm UnparralleledThinking.I wrote A New Future but most people know me from Forgetting the Past.


	16. Chapter 16

**READ:**

**So I'm giving you all a fair warning that this month my updates might get out of whack. I'm going to be going on a ski trip from the 18-22 so I doubt I'll be able to write. And then it's like, Christmas, so idk what I'm gonna be up to. Then again, I might get updates up like always and it'll be fine. Either way, just a warning in advance.**

"Arya what are you doing?"

Changing course, Arya started to climb sideways. She jumped down onto her mother's balcony and walked into her room.

"Nothing."

She headed for the door but Islanzadi stepped in front of her, arms crossed.

"Arya." Sighing, she turned and sat down at the small table in the room. "Whose room was that?"

_She didn't know? _Relief filled her. _Bullet dodged. _

"Mother it is nobody."

Islanzadi's eyes narrowed and then widened.

"Arya you are getting married! How could you be so careless!? Who is this man that you are sneaking about with?!"

Arya choked, coughing to try and clear her throat.

"What? Mother do you honestly think I'm sneaking about the castle sleeping with somebody I hardly even know?"

Her mother stared at her.

"I'm not really sure, Arya. You don't ever talk to me."

"Well I'm not."

"Prove it."

Arya rolled her eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Open your mind, Arya."

Fear shot through her. There was no way her mom was getting into her head.

"That's ridiculous."

She stood to leave but her mother put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

"Too bad. You are hiding things from me."

Arya just stared.

"Mother I'm hiding many things from you! How is that not of the ordinary?"

"Arya."

Finally she sighed. She didn't want to. It wasn't that she didn't think she could hide everything. Well maybe that was a little it. Although her mind was like a steel trap, her mother had a way of getting what she wanted.

"Fine. But hurry up."

Arya quickly hid all things that would cause her mother to worry and then opened her mind. Instantly Islanzadi pried inside. She quickly shuffled through thoughts, memories, and feelings of the past two months. After several minutes, Arya felt her mother's relief. Her mother started to leave but then a thought sprang into her head. Arya caught on but it was too late. A sudden image of Eragon standing in the middle of the arena, shirtless and focused on his opponent slammed into her mind. Without enough warning to shut herself down, Arya's heart skipped several beats and her mind's block lessened. Immediately, her mother latched onto the memories she kept hidden and Arya grimaced as flashes of her and Eragon's time together passed through her mind.

The last was with them in his room. Her cheeks flamed. Seriously, she really wished her mother had not seen him basically devouring her neck. Her mother finally released her and Arya shut herself off. She couldn't bring herself to meet her eyes. Islanzadi on the other hand was staring at her in utter surprise.

"I had a notion, but I truly did not think it went that far." Arya groaned and dropped her head into her hands but her mother just chuckled. "You know, I didn't actually expect you to feel as you do about him."

"Neither did I." Arya shook her head. "Wait, no I don't feel anything. What are you talking about?"

"Arya, don't forget, I felt your emotions as well. I know that you care for him. Maybe even more than care."

Arya shook her head again but she didn't have words to deny what her mother was saying. Islanzadi gripped Arya's shoulder supportively.

"It's not a bad thing that you care. I'm just happy that somebody could get through to you besides Faolin."

His name didn't send pain shooting throughout as it used to, but it still hurt. She looked up into her mother's eyes.

"I truly do not know what I feel."

Islanzadi smiled.

"You may not understand it, but you do know."

Arya stood and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I need to be alone."

Islanzadi smiled.

"Of course."

Arya left the room and returned to hers, laying down and covering her eyes with her forearm.

The days before the wedding passed too quickly but it also gave her an excuse to avoid Eragon. She wasn't completely ready to face him yet and although she saw the distress in his eyes every time she excused herself from being with him, she couldn't bring herself to be alone with him. It was too dangerous. It was like when he was near her, her ability of self control lessened immensely. There was so much that needed completed before the wedding that it gave her mind a break from worrying over her feelings and her past. Still, as she woke up the morning of, her stomach was tied in knots. She just laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. A knock at the door shook her from her haze.

"Arya?"

She relaxed. It was her mother. Every time Eragon had come to see her, she'd ignored him until he finally gave up. Each sigh of futileness made her feel awful but she didn't know what else to do. Arya opened the door and her mother filed inside with four other elves. In their arms they carried a dress of silver and blue. It was truly stunning and she watched in silence as they laid it out on her bed. The ceremony was to take place two hours from then and her preparation would take almost that long.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He clasped the side cape onto his breastplate and looked in the mirror. Katrina smiled behind him.

"It's perfect."

"Yeah."

He responded, trying to sound cheerful. After she'd kissed him like that, he figured that she had finally accepted her feelings. But these past days. . . He sighed inwardly and fought the urge to slam his fist into the table next to him. Her avoidance was painful and it angered him to no end. Saphira interrupted his depressing thoughts.

"_Eragon you need to stop wallowing over this. You know her. She's scared."_

"_So? I could help her if she would just trust me."_

"_I think that's the thing that scares her the most. She doesn't trust anyone."_

He sighed and rolled his shoulders. They hadn't had to spar the days before either because so much needed to be done but even when he specifically went out of his way to speak with her, she slipped away. Now he was going to be standing before her as they are married. Would she not look at him then? He pushed the thought from his mind and took the crown from Katrina's outstretched hands, carefully sliding it onto his head.

Roran burst into the room and grinned at him.

"You look brilliant, brother."

Eragon chuckled.

"Thank you."

"Come on then! It is time to start."

Eragon's heart thudded and he suddenly felt like he was going to throw up.

"Already?!"

Roran laughed.

"Yes! Let's go!"

With that he left. Katrina squeezed Eragon's hand comfortingly.

"You will be fine, Eragon. It will all be over soon and then you shall be married to the most beautiful woman in the whole of the realm."

He took a deep breath.

"Which is why I am so terrified."

Katrina smiled sweetly.

"It'll be ok."

He nodded and followed her to the throne room. As he walked in through the King's entrance, he saw that the room was packed to the brim with people of all nations. Eragon walked to the raised platform where he would wait alone before all these people until the moment Arya walked into the room. All eyes were on him as he walked to his designated spot and stood before Brom. He felt somewhat more relaxed as he was next to somebody he knew cared for him above all others. Brom smiled at him and gave a nod of encouragement. Eragon forced a smile back and then proceeded to stand stock still for the coming minutes, staring at his feet. He could feel Saphira's pride in him and he rolled his eyes.

"_Saphira, I haven't even done anything."_

"_Eragon you are standing before the entire kingdom waiting to be married to somebody who frightens so many. You are braver than you know."_

He was about to respond when suddenly the entire assembly gathered got to their feet and he knew it had started. He knew she was standing at the other end of the room looking beyond beautiful. Still, when he gathered the courage to look, his breath was taken away from him. Never in his life had he been so dazed beyond comprehension. Her dress was a deep royal blue that matched his and it had silver detailing.

The cuffs of her sleeves and her collar were also a brilliant pattern of silver. But that wasn't what made it so difficult to stay on his feet. Her hair was in loose curls and it was half up behind her head. The rest flowed beautifully over her shoulders. Her neck was exposed as was her collar bones since it was an off the shoulders design. Her eyes stood out above everything as the blue in the dress brought out their true color. He was literally having trouble taking in a breath as she started down the isle with her mother to her left. Her steps were long as she walked with elegance to stand where he was. Still, her eyes had not met his.

But when she stopped beside him, her gaze fell to his. Immediately his heart basically shot from his chest. All things were forgotten but her. Up close he could see that her eyes had been rimmed with a black coal. When she first looked at him, he swore he saw her catch her breath. Still, her eyes, although passive, were filled with emotion just behind the wall she used to deflect the world. After all these days of not speaking with her, having her this close made it almost impossible to keep himself away. Moments later Brom started the ceremony.

"Today, we gather to create a unity and a bond that will unite the kingdoms of this realm. Eragon of Carvahall, and Arya of Ellesmera, do you accept this bond?"

He responded first.

"Yes."

She answered the same. Even then, their eyes had not left one another's. Brom continued.

"You agree to serve each other in any way so as to promote the well-being of our lands?"

"I do."

"I do."

It continued on until finally the time came for the moment he'd worried upon for days. The kiss. Saphira sent him reassuring nudge and he relaxed a little. A little. _Would she pull away? _She had the right. It wasn't required of her to kiss him or for him to kiss her. He just hoped that it wouldn't seem as a slap in the face to him. Brom finished.

"In times of trial, may you hold onto each other for support. In times of happiness, may you flourish with joy. In the future, may you come to truly care for each other. Do you accept this fate?"

"I do."

"I do."

That was the cue. He stared at her and relief shot through him when he saw her nod slightly. He leaned forward and she met him halfway. Immediately his body was electrified, begging him to pull her closer, touch her. Her mouth moved perfectly with his and he could almost feel her desire as well as his own. After too short a time, he pulled back. Her eyes snapped to his and he saw that they were darker now. His pulse raced as he watched her. They were interrupted by the clapping of the crowd. Brom placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned to find him holding a crown out that matched his in craftsmanship although it was a band of gold that was melded into what looked like vines. Jewels had been placed around it. A single sapphire jewel, larger than the others, was at the front. It was designed so that the jewel would rest on her forehead.

Taking the crown in his hands, he looked at her and she slowly dropped to her knees. The look in her eyes showed that this was not a comfortable position for her to be in. She didn't like bowing before others. So quickly as it would be appropriate, he placed the crown on her head and held his hand out for her to stand. The clapping became even louder as she stood and they faced the people. Then together, hand in hand, they walked down the center and led the way to the banquet hall.

Celebrations continued far into the night as the races all drank and ate together. Eragon sat by Arya at the head of the table and they joined in. His heart still raced and his body called for her but he kept his cool. Saphira kept the conversation going to try and get his mind off of it. It didn't seem Arya was doing much better though as she kept glancing at him. After they'd finished feasting, the dancing started. In tradition, the first to dance would be the bride and groom. He wasn't bad by any means, but he knew he could never match her grace and he worried that he would seem a bumbling idiot.

His fears were abolished though as he linked one hand with hers and the other he placed at the small of her back. He was getting to be close to her and right then, that was all that mattered. They moved to the music and not once did they make a mistake. Soon enough, others had joined in. They danced until it was polite to step away and then they waited patiently as nobles and peasants alike came and congratulated them. By the time the assembly started to disperse, it was already almost dawn.

He knew what was expected of them that night. He knew that's what he wished would happen. But he also knew that they were nowhere near ready for that step. Hell, he didn't even truly know if she wanted to ever do that. So, as he led her to their new rooms that had been created specifically for two, he tried to decide what he wished to say. They stepped inside and when the door closed, he turned to her.

"Arya. . .I-"

She cut him off looking slightly ashamed.

"I can't."

He smiled kindly and removed his breastplate and cape, glad to be rid of the heavy armor. It was beautiful, but after so long with it on, his shoulders hurt. They'd already removed their crowns and had them sent here earlier.

"I know. I was going to offer to go the study so that you may change. As beautiful as you look, I know you don't like to wear such fancy clothes."

She didn't answer, only watched him.

"Eragon. . . ."

He shook his head.

"I know that you don't wish to-"

Again she cut him off. But this time, it was with a kiss. Taken off guard, he stumbled slightly. She gripped his arm and pulled him closer, her other hand wrapped around his neck, burying in his hair. Though he'd been shocked at the beginning, now his instincts took over the rest of him. He returned her kiss with vigor, walking her backwards until her back hit the wall. He leaned into her, body flush against her own. Eragon gripped her hip with one hand, pressing his thumb into the muscle and she gasped. He took the chance and slipped his tongue in, running it along the roof of her mouth, tasting her. She reciprocated, each fighting for dominance.

He needed to taste more of her. Needed so much more. His mouth left hers and trailed a path of fire down her neck as he bit and soothed the soft skin. She tilted her head back, giving him access and he took it. She tugged him back up but he wasn't finished. Taking her hands he pressed them over her head and held them there with one of his, returning to the soft flesh of her neck. He knew she was ten times stronger than him but his desire made him bold. He pressed his free hand once again into her hip and she shut her eyes tightly. His teeth grazed her collarbone and she couldn't restrain herself anymore. Pulling her hands from him, she tangled both of her's into his hair and roughly pulled him off her neck and back to her lips. They soon got to the point where it was either stop or not be able to, and he forced himself to pull back. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done in his entire life. Arya gripped his tunic tightly, not letting him back away. He fought his own body as he continued to keep himself from her.

"Arya you need to let go." She nodded but still her hand remained latched to his shirt as they both breathed heavily. The fact that she wanted this as much as him was a relief. Still, if she didn't let go soon, he wasn't going to pull back again. "Arya . . ."

Finally she dropped her hands and walked swiftly around him, eyes averted. She grabbed her change of clothing and he took that as his cue to do that same, elsewhere. When he returned from the study, having just put on leggings, she looked up from where she was sitting on the bed. Immediately she looked away, breath hitching in her throat.

"Eragon put on a shirt."

He frowned.

"But I'll get hot."

She still didn't look at him.

"Just for now. I need to um. . . cool off and that's not helping."

Catching her meaning he grinned and picked up a shirt from the floor, sliding it on.

"Done."

She glanced at him and then smiled slightly.

"Thank you."

He put out the lights and then laid down on top of the covers on the opposite side of her. Even with this distance he could feel her presence and it was still much too much. He stood again and walked to the balcony.

"Eragon?"

He glanced back.

"I uh. . .need _a lot_ of cooling off. I'm just going to speak with Saphira."

Arya nodded and he watched as she curled under the covers, her back facing him.

He returned almost an hour later, climbing into the bed and remaining on the top. After tossing and turning for several minutes, he sat up and removed the shirt. He never slept with a shirt and now it just felt awkward and uncomfortable. Arya seemed to be sound sleeping peacefully a couple feet away and he fought the desire to reach out to her. Because of this temptation, it took him almost two more hours to fall asleep.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

As she prepared to walk into the throne room, her heart was thudding so loudly that everyone could probably hear it. She was about to go inside and be married. To Eragon. When the doors opened and everyone stood, she caught a glimpse of him standing before the huge crowd. She could tell immediately that he was nervous. He was staring at his feet like they were the most interesting things in the world. Even then he looked powerful. He commanded the room without even trying. She looked away quickly as his head raised and walked the rest of the way down the center isle with her eyes on back wall. Her mother stepped aside as she reached him.

By then it was too hard to keep her eyes away. When she looked, she almost wished she hadn't because it was very hard to breath for a moment. His eyes were penetrating as they watched her; filled with a compassion and nervousness that scared and endeared her. Through the entire ceremony she had a troubled time keeping her eyes off his own. When it came time for the kiss, she almost bowed, signaling that she did not wish to. But his eyes met hers again and they were so scared that she would do as she planned. Not exactly knowing why, she nodded her approval. The moment his lips touched hers, she knew she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't keep running from him when this was what it felt like to be close.

She wasn't planning on just letting go, but she could at least show him that she cared more than she let on. By the time he pulled away, she had gotten to the point where her mind was in a fog. His eyes were grateful and longing before he turned to Brom and took her crown. This was the part she wished she could skip. She knelt before no one. He seemed to realize her annoyance and moved as fast as he could. Again, she looked at him and the desire to kiss him returned full force. It remained there the entire night and heightened especially when they danced. By the time they returned to their room, her patience for waiting was thin.

But she did need to clear something up. She wasn't ready for him to take her completely. When he spoke, she stiffened.

"Arya I-"

"I can't."

When he smiled in understanding, she almost gave in. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. Not yet. Still, as he spoke, her body's need to be nearer to him drove her towards him. She cut off his words with her lips, capturing his mouth and pulling him to her. Every movement sent a thrill through her and when he moved to her neck, it was almost too much. She tried to pull him up, hoping to stop what he was starting. When he took her hands away, panic shot through her. She didn't like being out of control and he'd just made her powerless. As he ran his teeth over her skin, she couldn't take it anymore. Not without giving in completely. She took over, finding his lips again. When he pulled back, it was like being ripped from a lifeline. She didn't want to let go. When she eventually forced herself to, she had to walk away quickly before she changed her mind.

Even when he returned, she wasn't quite over the entire situation. When she saw that he was shirtless she looked down. As he climbed up into the bed and then left, she had a feeling that she knew what he was doing. Still she asks and he confirmed her question. She closed her eyes, trying to relax. When he didn't return, she was able to relax and actually fall into a partial sleep. Even then, when he returned and stirred for several minutes, she woke and listened in silence.

All readers go and read the AN if you haven't already. It's important.

**Tamerlain75: **Yes and I'll get into his parentage later on. I was wondering about that. Are you sure it wasn't just another person named Tamerlain000?

**Perfectgirl6: **Lol I'm guessing this chapter answered all your questions.

**Green Magic: **I'm sorry :P I just can't keep only writing this one and leaving my readers of the other stories waiting for weeks.

**Dracones: **Haha I was actually about to have Islanzadi insult him but I figured that would be counter-productive to her trying to earn their trust.

**Avatarlover: **Yeah, I turned the paper over when he gave it back to me and about peed my pants. Not really, but I was super excited.

**Harry Potter's Dragon: **After these stories are finished lol

**Silverwing: **Well she can because they're all friends of Eragon. And she's Arya, she can say no to anything and anyone and they'll accept it with a smile lmao. My uncle actually own the Blade sword. A replica, but it's still awesome. I think you're behind a few weeks because there has been quite a few more past that. I love their relationship though, it's so awesome. Wait till you see the Final Frontier episode. It's great and Beckett gets playful lmao. Also, Arrow is amazing. It's also like, six or seven episodes in too.

**My Generation: **You're back! Haha I missed your reviews! And yeah, I know this started off a bit slow but it was necessary for the progression of the story. Also, all questions will be answered in later chapters. Things are going to start getting a little crazy.

**Joda-Eragonsson: **I might be able to upload that one again now that I think about it although I'd have to take out everything that could be considered inappropriate to my parents lmao. I'll think about it.

**fughp: **We'll see :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry about the delay, I had finals to do. Three papers that I'd put off until the night before. One was a ten-page paper. Yeah, not smart. But now I'm done so it's all good. Also, this is sort of a filler chapter.**

She woke the next morning with a start and stood quickly, walking to the balcony. She placed her hands on her head and tried to forget what she'd just seen in her nightmare. Saphira was in the room that had been made specifically for her and was still sleeping. Leaning on the balcony, she tried to push the horrifying images out of her head. She didn't know how long she stood there before she heard footsteps behind her.

"Arya?" She closed her eyes. His voice was tired and deep and it rasped in an extremely intoxicating way. She didn't react at first and he moved closer. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

He came forward and stood next to her.

"Don't lie."

She smiled slightly and looked at him.

"No."

He placed his hand over hers.

"What is it?"

She shook her head and looked out over the ocean. Wind was blowing softly and it smelled of sea.

"Just a dream."

"Do you want to talk?"

"Not particularly." He sighed and she turned her hand in his, linking their fingers. "I just want it to go away, ok?"

"Talking helps."

"I don't think it would help right now." She changed the subject. "My mother wishes for us to leave for Ellesmera tomorrow."

He nodded accepting her wish to stay silent. Something she appreciated immensely.

"I know. How long will it take to reach there?"

"Ten days."

He pulled her to face him. His eyes were worried.

"Do you wish we weren't. . you know. . . ."

She frowned.

"Why would you think that?"

He looked away.

"I don't know. I just feel like you're pulling away."

She shook her head.

"I wont do that Eragon. You know that I feel for you and I'm done trying to ignore those feelings. I'm not going to hurt us both just to make myself more comfortable. But you must understand it might take some time for me to be able to open myself completely to you. I'm still . . . not prepared for that."

He let out a breath like he'd been holding it and smiled, pulling her into his arms. She closed her eyes, relaxing into the comfort he provided. She fisted her hand in the tunic that he must've put on before coming out and rested her head just under his chin. He played with a lock of her hair and spun it around his fingers.

"Thank you for that."

"Thank you for understanding."

They stayed like that for while, just being, until she finally pulled away and looked at him.

"Are we going to train today?"

He smirked.

"You just want to wound my pride don't you."

She shrugged and turned, walking back inside.

"Maybe just a little."

They changed in separate rooms and then went to see Saphira. She'd downed several kegs of beer and was still sleeping soundly. Eragon tapped her scales with his foot. The large dragon stirred and turned her head towards them growling. She pushed into their minds.

"_Why are you waking me? What time is it?"_

Eragon answered with a chuckle.

"_Past midday. We're going to the beach if you wish to join."_

Saphira eyed them.

"_Are you going to play around in the water or actually train."_

This time they both smiled and Arya answered before Eragon could.

"_Train. He's had enough days off."_

Saphira snorted and smoke blew into the room.

"_That's very true."_

Eragon frowned at them both.

"_Is this how it's going to be now? You two versus me?"_

Saphira nodded her large head.

"_Of course. Now there will be two to tell you that you are being ridiculous and stupid."_

Eragon crossed his arms.

"_I don't think I like that."_

Arya chuckled.

"_You'll get used to it."_

Stretching her limbs, Saphira stood.

"_Would you both like to fly?"_

"_Yes."_

They answered at the same time and Eragon climbed up her shoulder to sit in the groove between her shoulders. She followed and sat behind him, this time not worrying about trying to keep her space. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and Saphira jumped out of the huge hole that had been made in the wall. The wind whipped her hair and she looked out across the land. The remnants of the enemies camp were spread everywhere to her right but at least they were gone. They'd moved out the morning after they realized what happened.

Saphira flew over the castle and Arya looked to the beach to find something that surprised her. She pointed and called for Saphira to stop.

"Look at them."

He squinted and shook his head.

"We're too far away."

"Look through my eyes."

He turned and raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

She nodded and felt his mind press against hers. When he saw what she was pointing at he laughed.

"I should've guessed. They're good together." He turned and gave her a knowing smirk. "You wanted me to look through your eyes to see my reaction didn't you?"

She shrugged and slowly shut away her mind from his.

"That's a possibility."

He chuckled and Saphira continued on to the beach where Cass and Anna were kissing in knee deep water. They spotted Saphira and pulled apart, trying to make it seem like nothing had happened but Eragon jumped down from Saphira and laughed.

"Nice try! You forget that an elf can see from very long distances."

Both Cassius and Anna looked down awkwardly and Arya rolled her eyes.

"Just ignore him. It wont matter as long as you aren't distracted while I train you."

Cass walked out of the water with Annabel close behind.

"Are we training today?"

Arya shook her head.

"No and we're leaving tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can arrange for Brom to train you while I'm gone."

Cassius grinned and took Annabel's hand.

"Perfect. Well, I think we should go. You two obviously want to be alone."

Eragon raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah? Or maybe you two are trying to finish what you started."

Anna flushed and Cass coughed uncomfortably.

"Well, see ya later,"

The two walked swiftly past and headed for the castle. Arya got into stance and Eragon followed suit. He grinned and was the first to attack with a flurry of strikes at her head. She blocked each, not countering. When he struck at her knees, she knocked his blade out of the way and struck at his side. This continued on for a time until their swords locked. With their faces centimeters apart, she caught her breath. He grinned, moving closer, eyes on her lips. At the last moment she pulled away. He frowned.

"That was evil."

Smiling, she flourished her sword.

"I know."

"I'll get you for that."

She smirked.

"How are you going to do that?"

"Later."

With a roll of her eyes she started at him again, slamming her blade down on his own.

The day was filled with preparation the moment they arrived back at the castle. As people bustled around them, they purposefully tried to stay out of the way. By the time they were all ready, it was almost time for the last feast at Carvahall for a while. She walked into her relatively empty closet and changed into a silver dress, pulling her hair up. When she walked out Eragon was trying to smooth down his hair in the mirror. He caught her in the reflection and turned swiftly, smiling.

"You look beautiful."

She smiled.

"Thank you."

He walked toward her, reaching out and taking both her hands in his. The contact was enough to electrify her and she took a deep breath, trying to hide the fact. Eragon must've noticed it though because he gave her a sly smile and moved closer until they were centimeters from each other. She wanted to take that final shift but she wouldn't let herself. He leaned his face close to her and whispered quietly in her ear.

"Your move."

She bit her tongue to keep herself at bay. Seeing that she wasn't reacting, he brushed his lips across hers just enough to make her notice. Her heart jumped. But this wasn't something he was going to win. Still, he hadn't made contact yet except for the graze of his lips. Everything in him was controlled which was even more alluring to her. She looked into his eyes and saw that at least his desire for her matched her's for him. Still, he seemed to be doing a better job handling it. Eragon tilted his head and grinned mischievously before walking slowly around her. He stopped at her back so she didn't notice what he was doing until he bent down and kissed her shoulder blade, opening his mouth against it and teasing her mercilessly.

Her nails dug into her palms as she stayed still and waited in pleasant torture as he worked his way from her back, to her shoulder, up the soft curve of her neck, and past. That was when she gave up. The moment his tongue ran just under her jaw line she was done for. Turning quickly, she gripped a hand in his hair and yanked him to her. Their mouths collided as they moved flush against each other and Eragon's arms wrapped around her tightly. He walked her backwards until her knees hit the edge of the bed and she fell. He followed swiftly, not allowing the distance between them to grow.

They were supposed to be heading for the banquet hall and yet at this moment, she could think of nothing else but the way his lips and body moved with hers. His tongue slipped in her mouth and she reciprocated immediately, hands tightening in his hair. Fire spread through her and she lost all sense of time as he continued to kiss her. One hand remained at the small of her back while the other found it's way to her hair, pulling it from it's band and entangling his fingers into it's mass. She released his and her own hands moved down his toned chest and abdomen before reaching the hem of his tunic. She hesitated before pushing it up and letting her fingers rest on his skin. Immediately he froze, lips leaving hers and his face burying in her neck. He tensed completely, not moving.

"Arya."

His words were forced and said through clenched teeth. Testing him, she slid her palm up his chest, tracing the muscle. She felt his teeth against her neck and they both gasped.

"Arya stop."

But she didn't want to. Her other hand ran up his ribs lightly. His hands tightened significantly and he shuddered.

"Please."

This time she head how desperate he was. Fighting herself, she pulled her hands from his body and dropped them to her sides. He let out a breath and rolled off of her. The loss of contact was almost unbearable. She closed her eyes in order to fight off the waves of heat shooting through her. He stood and she opened her eyes in time to see him run his hands through his hair roughly. He was sucking in air as if he couldn't breathe. Frowning, she sat up and moved towards him, but he jerked away quickly.

"Just. . . . no contact. I . . . . can't. . . . ."

"Can't what?"

He looked at her with longing.

"I can't keep myself under control when you do that, Arya."

Immediately she realized what he meant and a strong desire to just remove his shirt all together surfaced. She stepped forward again and he pressed himself against the wall. Grinning, she smoothed her clothing and fixed her hair. He made a face.

"It's not funny."

She tilted her head and moved closer. Immediately he tried to move back but he was against the wall. She smiled again, biting her bottom lip.

"It's kind of funny."

"No it's not. It literally hurts being this far from you right now."

Arya watched him then stepped within reach of him.

"This better?"

She realized exactly how much he'd been holding back when he immediately latched onto her, mouth crashing into the soft skin of her neck. She gasped and clenched her teeth as his own bit down on her. Right after his tongue soothed her only to repeat the action. His hands found her tie at the back of her dress and she realized then how stupid and cruel she'd just been. She wasn't ready for this and yet she wanted it just as badly as him. He'd loosened the tie just as a knock at the door broke them apart.

"King Eragon, Queen Arya? Are you alright?"

She slid around him and opened the door.

"Yes, we're on our way. Eragon was just waiting for Saphira to return from her hunt."

From behind her she heard the dragon snort. The runner nodded and bowed.

"I shall let them know."

With that he was off. She closed the door and looked back to Eragon who was now sitting on the bed, head in his hands. She sighed and walked over to him, careful not to touch him.

"I'm sorry Eragon. That was cruel of me. I didn't realize."

He shook his head and stood, smiling at her warmly.

"It's really nobody's fault. I'm just too hard to stay away from I guess."

She chuckled and turned for the door, glad he was making light and not upset with her.

"You're completely right."

He smirked and together they walked from the room. They were just about to turn the corridor to the hall when he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait." She tried to turn but he kept her facing away. She understood what he was doing when she felt his fingers at the nape of her neck. "You're dress isn't laced."

Heat flooded her cheeks when she realized she'd almost walked into a room full of her peers with her dress undone. Still, as his fingers accidentally brushed her skin, it hummed with anticipation. He finished and stepped beside her. She thanked him and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing down the strands that looked unkempt. The soft strands ran through her fingers and she had to force herself to step back. Together, they walked into the great hall to the curious and somewhat annoyed faces of the others. She avoided her mother's gaze completely as they made their way to the head of the table where two seats sat side by side.

They sat and the dining got under way and only five minutes in she felt Eragon slip his hand into her own. She smiled without thinking and of course her mother saw. Immediately a mind pressed into her own and she unwillingly opened it to her mother.

"_Arya seriously. Is it not enough that you were late for dinner? Must you misbehave at the table as well."_

"_How are we misbehaving?"_

"_Arya."_

Even in her mind she could hear the warning. She sighed through their connection and showed her that they were only holding hands.

"_See. Nothing inappropriate."_

"_If that is all then why do you smile?"_

She considered for a moment.

"_I don't exactly know."_

Her mother was silent and Arya watched a swirl of emotion shoot through her eyes.

"_You really feel for him don't you?"_

Arya looked down.

"_Yes."_

"_What were you two _actually_ doing that caused you to be late?"_

The sudden shift in topic startled her but not enough to let anything slip. Of course her mother didn't believe their excuse.

"_We were waiting for Saphira."_

"_I don't like being lied to."_

"_It's not a lie."_

"_I saw Saphira flying around the castle from my balcony just minutes before I left. She was already back."_

Arya rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on Eragon's hand.

"_It's none of your business."_

Surprisingly a small smile graced her mother's face.

"_No it's not, but try and avoid letting it mess with the rest of your duties."_

"_I promise I will."_

With that Islanzadi withdrew from her mind and she looked at Eragon. He looked at her curiously and then his mind brushed carefully against her own. With him, she was a little more open although she hid most of her feelings. He questioned her.

"_What was that about?"_

"_She was wondering about . . . things."_

"_Ahhh, ok."_

He didn't say anything after that but he also didn't pull his mind away. She hesitated before deciding to remain linked to him. As the dinner continued, they spoke as much as required, all while never leaving each other's mind. It was nice, especially hearing all of Saphira's witty comments about guests that she disliked. Mostly pointed towards the stuck up nobles. Also at Orrin. When dinner was finished, Arya realized it had been much easier to sit through than usual. She smiled again. It seemed like her life would be getting much better from here on in.

**Ok, so not to sadden you, but after two more chapters, things are going to get less. . . . fluffy. . . . **

**Mark Silverwing: **Awesome! Yeah I'll check it out at some point I'm just crazy busy at the moment. It's totally worth the wait for Arrow. Awesome show. At least to me. Haha well my trip got cancelled but I would've been doing skiing because it was less expensive. Yeah

**Microbat98: **Yeah I just wanted to get to the good stuff so and figured you all would too. Lol and this story is nowhere near over. Like, that's just the very very beginning. And don't sound so suspicious. . . .I wrote A New Future like, way before FtP. It's on a jump drive that I put it on when I was getting a new lap top.

**Green Magic: **Yeah they would definitely still remove it. My parents are super Catholic and I don't even believe in sex before marriage. So yeah, now that that's out there, sorry if it bothers anybody but that's another reason I don't want to put it in the story. Even writing it in this with them married they would get mad at so yeah. . . . sorry to everyone.

**Guest: **Yeah I know but like you said, I thought it was kind of entertaining haha.

**My Generation: **Yay! And thank you so much! It's really awesome to hear that because sometimes I feel like I don't put enough description in. And college is actually so much easier than high school. For me at least. I mean, I got a 98% in my math class and I suck at math. I go to a community college because idk what I want to do with my life yet so I'm not much into the actual college life yet. I will be next year though so we'll basically be going at the same time haha.

**Iryan Drottingu: **Nope ;)


	18. Chapter 18

He was nervous as they returned to their rooms. He didn't like having to keep pulling back and yet to keep himself from her completely was too dreadful to imagine. As the door closed and she moved immediately to the bathroom, he decided she was going with the latter. As much as it pained him, he understood. Still, he figured he'd at least make it as bad for her. So, before climbing into the bed, he removed his tunic and threw on a worn pair of leggings.

When she exited the bathroom and saw him he heard a very quick intake of breath. He didn't look as she laid several feet from him on the opposite side of the bed. He ignored Saphira as she mocked their situation and tried with everything he had to fall asleep. An hour later he gave up. Rolling over, he looked at Arya.

"You awake?" She didn't move. He sighed and closed his eyes again.

"What do you want?"

His eyes shot open and he looked at her to find her emerald eyes piercing his own. Both caught their breath and he clenched his jaw, trying to ignore his body's desires.

"Tell me about Ellesmera."

A faraway look entered her eyes as she entered into her memories.

"It's breathtakingly beautiful."

He smiled at her happiness and slid one hand to grasp her's that was under her chin.

"I can't wait to see it."

She smiled and tightened her grasp on his hand.

"You'll love it, I think."

"Yeah?"

She nodded and he instinctively leaned forward and kissed her softly. She tensed slightly but didn't move away. He watched her eyes as she tried to decide what to do. When she didn't pull back he kissed her again, his lips still gentle on hers. After a moment she returned his kiss, her fingers grazing his jaw. Even as his desire was still there, this kiss was different. It was slow and perfect, everything he felt all put into it. He didn't really know what it meant for her but to him it was bliss. She pulled away after a moment and looked in his eyes.

"Goodnight, Eragon."

He smiled and kissed her once more.

"Goodnight, Arya."

She smiled and pulled away from him but left their hands together. He squeezed her's and closed his eyes, finally feeling the exhaustion from the day wash over him.

He woke the next morning and it was the same as the last. With her not next to him. His hand felt empty where it had held her own the entire night. He sat up and looked around but stopped when he heard his dragon snort. Smiling, he stood and walked into her huge chamber to find Arya sitting against his dragon's leg, smiling.

She looked at him with that smile as he entered the room and he caught his breath. _She is so beautiful. . . . how am I possibly so lucky? _He didn't realize that Saphira had immediately attuned to his thoughts and that Arya was speaking with Saphira. It wasn't until he saw Arya's cheeks brighten and her look down that he figured it out. Immediately he shut his mind from both of them and Saphira snorted again. He turned and left the room quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with the blushing elf before him.

He'd just re-entered the bedroom when he felt her hand on his wrist.

"Eragon."

Her voice was perfect to him so early in the morning and yet he couldn't bring himself to look at her. She tilted his chin and made him. Her eyes were amused and he became annoyed that she could make jovial what he'd meant in truth. He fisted his hands in the fabric of his leggings and clenched his jaw. Noticing his hurt, she immediately shook her head.

"Eragon I am not making fun of you."

"Could've fooled me."

She grinned again which didn't help.

"I am amused because you think of me as you do."

"Why?"

"Because you see yourself as so plain."

He shrugged.

"I see the truth."

She laughed and he froze. Never before had he heard something so beautiful and melodic. It set his skin humming in excitement.

"Eragon you see a biased truth in which you are lowest. Can you not see how others look at you?"

He frowned.

"What do you mean?"

She settled her hand on his bare chest and started to trace the muscled lines. His breath hitched but he continued to listen.

"If we are just focusing on the physical, then look at yourself through my eyes."

Her mind brushed his and he quickly shut down all his emotions before letting her in. He felt what she was feeling physically and it made him squirm.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but I'd rather not ever want to kiss myself again."

Her laughter rang out through the room and he grinned in response, not being able to help it. She walked to the side table by the bed and grabbed the leather band she sometimes wore, sliding it into her hair. He followed her with his eyes and she turned around, catching him with a smirk.

"Eragon, you are beautiful as well."

He grimaced.

"Not a word a man likes to be described with."

She rolled her eyes.

"But it is a word that fits well. Not only your physical appearance, but your inner person as well. I have never met anyone with a heart as strong and pure as yours."

His cheeks flamed and he looked down, not having words to speak. She chuckled and walked towards him.

"Eragon you must learn to see yourself as your people see you or you cannot fully become who you're meant to be." He shrugged off her compliments and was about to reach for his shirt when she stepped in front of him. She tilted her head and looked in his eyes. "You get flustered rather easily, don't you?"

He made a face and then tried to turn the tables by stepping closer. By making her the one trying to back out. But she didn't move, only smirked knowingly. He shook his head and grinned, cupping her jaw with one hand. She watched his eyes until his mouth met hers. After a moment he pulled back and grabbed a tunic to throw on. She took one last appreciative look at his torso before he covered it.

"My mother is ready when we are."

"_You can both fly with me."_

"_Thank you, Saphira."_

He repeated what Saphira said and a relived smile broke out on the elf's face.

"Thank you so much. I was truly dreading having to ride with my mother."

Arya contacted Islanzadi with her mind and let her know as Eragon looked about the room. A knock at the door distracted him. Opening it, he found Roran was waiting nervously there.

"Brother! Come to say goodbye?"

"Yes. But I'd like to speak with you. . . not out loud."  
Eragon frowned and he knew Arya heard what was being said. Still, he didn't want to upset Roran and so he opened his mind and spoke to him.

"_What is it Roran?"_

"_What if this really is a trap?"_

Bristling, Eragon tried to tamp down his anger.

"_I'd rather you didn't assume such things about Arya."_

"_I do trust Arya. Truly. But do you think her mother has good intentions with this? I see how Arya looks at you and so I know that she cares for you. Islanzadi on the other hand. . . . Eragon this could still be a trick."_

"_But Islanzadi cares for her daughter, and therefore, by default, must at least protect me. I know this might seem suspicious but I assure you it is not. I will be back by month's end and you shall know for sure."_

Eragon felt Roran's doubt but his cousin stayed silent and withdrew from his mind. He smiled and hugged him before turning to leave.

"We'll all be in the inner yard to wave you off. I assume you'll be flying with Saphira."

"Yes."

Roran nodded.

"Good. Farewell, Eragon."

The door closed and Eragon stared at it for a time. Arya waited patiently.

Shaking his head, Eragon turned and headed for Saphira. Instead of asking the problem she just followed him silently as he saddled his dragon. Saphira broke his concentration.

"_Even an elf will lose their patience, Eragon. Talk to her."_

"_I know, I know."_

He rolled his shoulders and sat down, leaning his back against Saphira's legs.

"They worry about me leaving."

Arya leaned against the entrance to Saphira's chambers.

"I think they worry more about who you're leaving with."

He nodded.

"Yes."

Sighing, Arya watched him.

"Do you worry?"

He looked at her then, trying to convey the truth of what he was about to say.

"I do not."

She smiled.

"So you trust my mother?"

"I trust that she has your best interest at heart. And I'm happy to say that I know you care enough about me that she wouldn't do anything."

"If I were out of the picture?"

"Well then none of this would be happening at all."

"True." Arya's eyes glazed slightly and he knew she was speaking to her mother. "It's time to go. You ready?"

Eragon looked around the room before nodding. Climbing up Saphira's shoulder, he waited for Arya to settle in front of him. Saphira took off with a leap out of the castle, falling into the wind until she spread her wings and they rose to the clouds. He grinned at the feeling. No matter how many times it was still the most free he cold possibly be. Diving, they headed for the courtyard where hundreds were gathered to watch his departure. Near the gate he saw the elves waiting. Saphira landed with a whoosh of wind, making several onlookers stumble.

He jumped from the saddle, sliding down Saphira's leg and landing in a crouch before rising and striding over to where Roran, Nasuada, and the others were waiting. He smiled at them.

"Farewell for now, my friends."

Nasuada, Orik, and Orrin bowed their heads in agreement. Nasuada spoke.

"It has been a nice reprieve from the constant fighting between us all. I trust that we will see you again very soon and we shall celebrate. Orrin and I shall return to our home for the time you are away. We will return days before you do to prepare for a great feast."

"I look forward to it, Nasuada."

Orik stuck out his hand.

"We shall return home as well. And the same, we will return."

Eragon smiled.

"Very well. And good travels to you both."

He then turned to his cousin who embraced his swiftly before pulling away. Katrina did the same. Eragon knew by the looks in their eyes that they were still worried for him. He shook his head and spoke quietly.

"Fear not, please. You shall see me in a short while. I will only be ten days actually in Ellesmera. The rest shall be spent in travel to leave and return to you."

Suddenly he felt a jolt as something hit him. Startled, he looked to find Leo hugging him tightly. Guards ran forward but he glared and held out his hand.

"Leave him!" They stopped and returned to their posts. He grinned at the boy. "I will see you soon, Leo."

The boy pulled away and nodded cheerfully.

"I know. But I haven't had a chance to truly say thank you for saving me and my big brother."

"There is no need for thanks."

Cassius stepped forward, Annabel at his side.

"Yes there is. But we shall repay your kindness the rest of our lives."

Eragon grinned.

"There is no need. And good luck with your training. While we're gone, Brom will train you well."

They nodded and stepped back. Eragon just barely caught the eye of the man he'd just spoken of. He hadn't seen him for some time and he couldn't help but notice that Brom seemed ill. He motioned him forward.

"Old friend, it's been a while."

His trainer nodded.

"Yes. I've been quite busy."

"May I ask with what?"

The man smiled sadly.

"I wish you could."

Frowning, Eragon was about to ask what he meant when Saphira spoke.

"_Islanzadi grows impatient, Eragon. Let us be off."_

He watched Brom's mysterious eyes and then clapped him on the shoulder.

"See you very soon."

"Goodbye."

As he returned to Saphira, he pondered the way Brom had said that word with such finality.

"_He meant nothing by it, Eragon."_

Eragon smiled faintly at Saphira's words.

"_Of course. I need not worry."_

He returned to his place behind Arya and Islanzadi nodded at them before the elves started to leave the courtyard into the town. Saphira jumped and pounded her wings into the air and they rose steadily. When they were out of eyesight, Arya rested against his chest. Happiness shot through him and he rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist. He was nervous for the trip into the unknown, but with her at his side he felt invincible.

It was three days into the trip and after hearing all about her home excitement thrilled through him. They had just stopped for the night for the first time. Because elves could travel much longer than humans he had to sleep as Saphira flew. They actually only stopped at this point because Saphira was becoming weary. She had sped off in search of prey to hunt while tents were set up hastily. Eragon removed his belt and laid back on the cot that was actually quite comfortable. Arya had gone to hold council with her mother and so he was alone for the next few hours.

Truthfully, that was fine with him because he knew with Arya next to him on this small cot would mean he wasn't going to sleep. Taking advantage of his time he stripped to his trousers, closed his eyes, and drifted into a dream that seemed so. . . . real.

"_Get away from him!"_

_Eragon watched from the ground as a boy stood protectively in front. Three others were gathered around. One spoke._

"_What're you going to do about it all by yourself?"_

_The boy pulled out two daggers from his sleeves. Still, Eragon couldn't see his face. The three who'd faced off against him stepped back cautiously. They made a face at the boy and him before turning and running back the way they came. Suddenly the boy who'd protected him turned and dropped down before him. His eyes were like steel, grey and mysterious._

"_Eragon! I told you not to come this way! Let's go, hur-"_

"_There you are."_

_Suddenly Eragon felt chilled to the bone as a horrid voice interrupted his protector. With a terrified look, the boy slammed a pommel of a dagger across Eragon's face. _

"_Goodbye."_

_As he lost consciousness, he saw the boy who'd saved him being smacked across the face and then dragged off. Not understanding what was happening, Eragon felt the despair and horror of the little boy he used to be. _

Jolting awake, Eragon found he was soaked in sweat and shaking. Sitting up, he pressed his palms into his forehead and tried to force away his confusion. He took a deep breath just as Arya entered the tent.

"Eragon what's happened?"

Her voice was worried and he shook his head.

"Nothing." He ran his hands roughly through his hair and stood. "I'm going for a walk."

"Sit down."

He watched her and sighed.

"Arya just . . . let me walk it off."

"Walk what off?"

He rolled his eyes and laid back down, deciding to just try to sleep. He didn't know what was happening himself so how was he supposed to explain that to her. It seemed stupid. After all it was just a memory or. . . something. He heard her lay next to him and turn. Suddenly her hand was in his hair, brushing through it with a soft touch. He exhaled and moved instinctively closer to her.

"Eragon what happened?"

He shrugged.

"Just a dream."

"What happened?"

"You don't tell me what yours are about. Why should I?"

"You're the one who says it helps."

"Well I'm starting to understand why you don't like sharing."

Arya sighed and she twisted his hair in her fingers. It felt like she was massaging his scalp with her perfect fingers. His eyes grew tired as she continued her rhythmic motions.

**-R-O-R-A-N-**

He walked into his chambers to find Katrina just returning from the washroom. He smiled. It had been almost seven days since Eragon's departure and fear still filled him that something would happen. Katrina smiled, knowing his thoughts, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don't worry, Roran."

"I'm trying not to."

She smiled and went on her tip toes to kiss him. Pulling back she watched his eyes.

"I know."

His thoughts went only to her as she kissed him again. Walking her backwards, they'd just reached the bed when an explosion sounded outside. Sprinting to the balcony, he looked out into the darkness. Panic rose as he watched an entire section of the wall crumble to nothing. Light glinted off metal as hundreds of soldiers poured into the city. _No. . . . _He turned to Katrina who'd just arrived next to him and they looked at each other in horror. He gripped her arms.

"Go and find Cass. Send him after the elves. Send others out as well. We need to call for arms. There isn't much hope in fighting this now."

Katrina kissed him and then pulled back.

"I love you."

"You as well, beautiful. Be careful."

With that they separated as he went to prepare his troops for what little battle they'd be able to put up. He just hoped that the stories Cass told about how he was a tracker and hunter back before being pulled into Galbatorix's army were true.

**DaytonP: **Lol not at the moment.

**Mark Silverwing: **I'm out of school now but those papers were my last final. And I still got a good grade on them because I got an A in the class. I got an A in all of my classes so I'm pretty happy about that.

** .Saxon: **I'm sorry to disappoint but I wont be doing a lemon scene. I'm not allowed to write them :P I'll allude to it when it happens though.

**Iryan Drottingu: **I will do that. And you'll see :)

**Avatarlover: **It's the second lol. I did mine a couple weeks ago and stuff. Ended up with all A's!

**My Generation: **Yeah not so much fluff and I know what you mean. There will be less. And I just got a lot of money and some epic pajama pants that I wear like, every day. Lol which thing of Saphira do you think I would do?


	19. Chapter 19

**-C-A-S-S-I-U-S-**

He jolted awake as he heard frantic pounding on his door. Pulling a small dagger, he opened it slightly. When he saw the frantic face of Katrina he pulled it open completely.

"Katrina wha-"

He was cut off as a loud bang echoed and the ground shook. Katrina shook her head, waving away his questions.

"There is no time! Cass you must follow the elves. Follow them and tell them that we are lost."

Fear spurred in his heart.

"What do you mean, _lost_?"

"Cassius, Galbatorix's armies have entered the city. There's no stopping them now."

"How is that even possible?!"

Katrina looked at him with desperate exasperation.

"I don't have time to explain! You must leave the castle now! Tristan is waiting for you at Eragon's entrance. He can lead you through! You must go now!"

Nodding, Cass ran back into his room and pulled on a shirt. Grabbing his sword he strapped it to his waist.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

He followed Katrina through the halls of the castle until they arrived in the council hall and then through the doors to the garden. They'd just reached the gate when he froze.

"Wait! My brother! Anna! I can't just leave them!"

Katrina shook her head.

"If you return now all will be lost. You wont make it to safety in time. As we speak the armies are surrounding the castle walls. I'll keep them safe."

He shook his head, panic rising in him, and started off towards the castle again.

"I c-can't just leave them." Suddenly a hand wrapped around his upper arm like a vice and yanked him through the castle wall. "No! What are you doing!? No!"

They appeared out the other side and the hand let him go. He slammed into the wall again and slammed his palms into it to no avail. Tristan grabbed his collar and slammed him into the mortar and stone.

"Man up, Cassius! This is our only hope for receiving help. If you return then we all die in vain. Leo is a child! He will be taken into custody. As for Anna, she is smart. She'll think of something. Now, I need you to take us to the elves! Can you do that?" He watched Tristan's hard eyes before swallowing and nodding. "Good. Let's go."

They started off at a fast run towards the water's edge. Even then the enemy's huge mass was visible in the distance. They'd almost reached the tree-line that was by the ocean when a call rang out.

"Over there! Stop them!"

Their run turned into a full out sprint as they entered the forest and started to swerve through the lines of trees. His heart pounded frantically in his chest as he was cut across the cheeks by a low branch. Still, they did not slow. Behind them they heard the trampling of boots and the clanking of metal as a horde of soldiers chased after them. They'd only made it a mile or so when an arrow embedded itself in a tree next to his head. Cass ducked instinctively and almost tripped before Tristan caught his arm.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins as they continued on. Suddenly they heard a sound that filled them with dread. Hoofbeats. Tristan swore and started to slow.

"Keep running! I'll distract them!"

"No! We can-"

Tristan cut him off.

"We can't outrun a horse. Keep going!" Tristan stopped completely and Cass ignored his order, stopping as well. Tristan growled and shoved him. "Move!"

"Not without you."

Tristan pulled his sword and crouched low. When he spoke again his voice was dead serious and filled with command.

"GO!"

Not seeing any other way, Cass started off at a sprint again. But he stopped after going only a hundred yards and made his way nimbly up into a large tree with a clear view of Tristan. The horse appeared through the brush and Tristan gave a war call as he lunged and slashed the belt strap of the saddle, cutting into the horse slightly. It reared and cried out in pain. The man riding it fell to the ground and quick as lighting Tristan had ran his blade through the man's chest.

Just as he did, twelve others came through the brush. Without pause Tristan threw himself at the archer and knocked the bow from the man's hand as he pulled a dagger from his belt and slit it across the soldiers throat. He was able to take two others down before they were situated. It wasn't until then that he paused. Tristan watched the remaining nine soldiers and in the moonlight Cass saw a grim smile on his face.

It seemed as if time stood still and then a shout broke the moment. Three soldiers advanced rapidly, weapons raised. They struck furiously at Tristan and he used his brute strength to block to and catch the last man's arm.

Shoving them off, he slashed one across the chest and drove his dagger into another's sword arm. The third pulled back in time to avoid a cut across the stomach. Tristan continued forward, using his honed skills to fight off so many attackers at once. Still, Cass could see his strength was waning with each parry and blow. He made a split second decision to ignore his orders and dropped to the ground, heading back towards the fight.

He heard two more men cry their last before he came within eyesight again.

Now only six remained and one had a useless arm. Unsheathing his sword, Cass started towards the frenzy. As he reached the group Tristan took down another soldier. Cassius used surprise to his advantage and stabbed his sword through the back of a man who was facing off against Tristan. The others took notice of his presence and he watched as they retreated slightly. Tristan glared daggers at him but he came to his side and they faced off against the remaining five.

It was quick work as they used their superior skill to finish off the soldiers. Cassius slammed the pommel of his sword into the last man before running him through as the man fell to the ground. Beside him, Tristan was panting but a smile reached his face.

"Looks like we did it. Let's get the hell out of here."

Cass had just grinned back when a twang sounded. He didn't realize what was happening until he saw the arrowhead explode through Tristan's chest. Eyes wide in surprise, Tristan just looked at Cass and then with the last of his strength, shoved Cassius to the ground just before another arrow whizzed past. Fear shot through him as he scampered behind a huge tree trunk. Breathing heavily, he tried to figure out what to do. He needed to move through the shadows to get behind the archer but there was no way to do that without alerting him. Tristan solved his problem.

"You know, that's cheating." Cass frowned until he realized that Tristan was giving him exactly what he needed. Cover. He started to move at a low crouch toward the direction of the shooter. "Were you too afraid to come die with your companions, archer? Why hide in such darkness?"

"Shut up."

Cass pinpointed the man's general location by his voice and headed for it in a roundabout way as Tristan continued to taunt the soldier.

"Did you want to have the honor of returning the only man alive? Be able to boast of your accomplishment? Letting your entire battalion get slaughtered."

The soldiers voice was furious when he responded, not thinking that he was making it very easy for Cass to find him.

"Shut up!"

That was it. Cass saw a glint of metal yards away and lunged out of the shadows towards the archer. The man heard his approach but it was too late to do anything except shoot one wild shot before Cassius had slammed into him and tackled him to the ground. Even though he fought, Cass was easily able to overwhelm him and he slammed his fist into the soldier's face. His sword rose and fell with swift precision as he cut through the archer's heart. Gasping, he stood and stumbled his way to Tristan. He didn't know the extent of the man's injuries but when he saw him he knew he couldn't be saved. Tristan was on his side, the arrow protruding from his spinal cord.

"You gonna be good going at this alone?"

Cassius walked to crouch in front of Tristan's face. He watched him sorrowfully.

"Yes."

"Good. This all depends on you now, Cass."

Tristan's breath was shallow and it continued to slow until he wasn't breathing at all. A single tear streaked Cass' cheek before he stood and wiped it from his face. He had a job to do and Tristan's death would not be in vain. Starting off at a jog, Cassius went in the direction he'd seen the horse go. It would've stopped after a bit of running and he knew he could ride it for at least two days or so before it was too weak to continue.

**-A-N-N-A-B-E-L-**

She sprinted towards the castle and was ushered through the gates by two soldiers before they shut it as quickly as was possible considering it's size. She'd just helped almost the entire town that hadn't already been overrun by the enemy. She was the last to enter the courtyard and she watched as soldiers continued to line the walls and pile behind the gate. She herself ran through the crowd until she found Roran all decked out in armor. He nodded grimly at her.

"Thank you for your help."

"No problem. Where's Leo at?"

"He's with Kartrina in the castle." She wasn't completely able to hide her worry and Roran settled a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be ok."

"But what about Cass? Do you think he made it out?"

Roran's look didn't appease her fear.

"I truly don't know. I am desperately hoping so because if he and Tristan were captured or ki- . . . well then we have no hope of saving this castle."

She wasn't oblivious to his stutter but chose to ignore it because the word was too horrid to think about.

"How long do you think till they break into the inner wall? How did they even destroy that section of the first one?"

Roran's eyes darkened.

"The red rider. It was reported that he and a group of sorcerers brought it down."

"But how? They had none left!"

"I'm beginning to think this had been their plan this whole time. They waited until all had left our side."

"But how could they know that they would? They had to have just sent the soldiers or the scouts would have seen them. This means they've had this planned and were just waiting for a signal from somewhere."

Roran nodded.

"Well it was easily deduced that the other kingdoms would leave but not the time. I think that red rider is much more powerful than he lets on. He must've scryed us or watched from a distance."

She shook her head and looked around at the terrified villagers.

"What do we do?"

Roran met her eyes and she saw steel in them

"We fight until there is nothing left to fight for."

**-A-R-Y-A**

He wouldn't talk to her about his nightmares. She knew she shouldn't be upset by it because she didn't tell him much either, but she was. She thought he trusted her. Still, as he laid peacefully next to her, she continued to run her fingers through his soft hair. He shifted suddenly and mumbled a name she'd never heard before. Selena. A spark of jealousy shot through her but she tamped it down with annoyance. Suddenly he jerked and fell off of the cot to the ground. He groaned and she sat up. Eragon rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself off the floor.

"You want to talk now?"

He looked at her before sitting back on the bed.

"Eh."

"Do you want to tell me who Selena is?"

He froze and his emotions clouded.

"I don't know. . . ."

Annoyance flared through her and she stood quickly, heading for the door.

"There's no need to lie to me Eragon."

He snatched her hand before she was out of reach.

"Arya I'm not. Please."

Turning she glared at him.

"Then why do you say her name while you sleep? Who is she to you?"

He tilted his head and a small smile reached his lips.

"Thank you."

Her eyes narrowed.

"For what?"

He stood and pulled her closer.

"Showing me how much I mean to you."

She stepped away and shook her head.

"You aren't changing the subject, Eragon."

He chuckled and let her go. Sitting back down, he watched her.

"Open your mind."

After hesitating for a moment she lowered her barriers, carefully blocking her thoughts, memories, and emotions. He'd already done that but he allowed one memory to slip through. It was of him as a child. She watched the scene play out and felt what he felt, her heart hurting as his did. After that scene another played. But this time there were no faces. Just voices in the dark.

"_Selena we have to!"_

"_I can't. . .I just. . I just . . .can't."_

"_My love, it's this or we all perish."_

Sobs filled Arya's mind as the woman named Selena wept. Slowly the darkness faded and Eragon pulled from her mind.

"See. All I know is her name. I feel like she's in my memories and yet. . .she isn't. She's everything and at the same time, she's nothing."

Arya sat next to him, truly confounded.

"You have no memory of your past, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well maybe this is the past returning to you. In your dreams."

"Then why do they reveal nothing at all? And I feel like I know the man's voice. . ."

Arya frowned.

"I do as well."

They thought on it for several more minutes with neither figuring it out. Eragon swore and Arya pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them and frowning.

"There's magic at work."

He looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

She tried again to connect the voice with a face before running her hands through her hair in frustration.

"It keeps slipping through my grasp like it's avoiding detection. I don't understand why but your memories were purposefully hidden from you."

He groaned and fell back on the cot, arms over his head and hanging off the back. She smirked and laid back next to him just as somebody burst into the tent. Words were spoken before she could even react.

"Hljödhr!" (Silence) She found herself unable to speak as a cloaked figure stopped before them. They both stood rapidly, trying to reach him, but he spoke again. "Huildr sharjalví. " (Hold movement.)

She fought her bindings as the man pulled out a dagger and slammed it into Eragon. Because of the spell all he was able to do was open his mouth in silent pain. She heard Saphira's roar as the dragon felt it too. Anger shot through her but she was able to do nothing. As the assassin turned to her she felt a familiar presence in her mind. Opening herself she felt the power of the dragon shoot through her and she broke the spell that was binding her. Just as the cloaked man tried to drive the blade into her she shot out her hand and gripped his own. Fury raged through her and she ripped the dagger from his hand before slamming into his shoulder with such force that it would've gone through, handle and all, if the guard on the blade had not stopped it. He screamed and fell as Eragon was released and crumpled to the ground.

Two elves pushed through the tent flaps as she knelt down by Eragon. The entire tent was ripped away as Saphira crushed it in her jaws and pulled. Fear ran down Arya's spine as she turned Eragon onto his back and tested for a pulse. It was barely there. She looked desperately one elf.

"Go get the healers!" To the other she looked at the groaning assassin. "Contain him."

They nodded and did as she said while Saphira peered closely. Since she was still connected to her Arya could feel her agony. One thing was repeating in the dragon's mind:

"_Save him. Save him. Save him."_

She looked at the wound and winced before ripping the tunic the rest of the way. She placed her hands over the wound.

"Waíse heill."

It did nothing and she swore. This is what she'd been afraid of. Three elves ran up to her.

"What can we do?"

She stood, her hands covered in Eragon's blood.

"Keep his heart beating!"

They nodded and went to work. She looked at the man who'd caused this and walked over to him, fury eating at her. Pressing at his mind she found it locked so tightly that she doubted any man, elf, or dwarf could enter. So instead, she wrapped her hand around his throat and pulled him from the elf's grasp, holding him off the ground.

"What was on the dagger?" The man gasped and then chuckled, blood dripping down his chin. She tightened her grip, wanting nothing more than to kill him. "What was it!?"

When he didn't answer she grabbed his hand and snapped his thumb. He screamed but other than that said nothing. She pressed his pointer finger backwards, causing extra pain, until it broke as well. Still, all he did was cry out in pain. Pure rage, the kind that causes your vision to go red and your conscience to recede exploded through her and with false calmness, she pulled the man close, speaking coldly in his ear.

"I will break every bone in your body, rip out every nerve, and remove every limb, until you tell me exactly what was on that blade. Do you understand me?"

With that she slammed him to the ground with enough force to blur his vision. Without warning she stepped down onto his femur and it broke with a load crack. The man screeched horrifically and squirmed in pain as she placed her foot on the other. His eyes widened and he waved his hands in plea.

"No! No more! I'll tell you what it is!" She waited, not moving. He stared at her in seriousness until a small glint entered his eye and he burst into laughter. Before Arya could respond a clawed paw swiped at the assassin and unhinged his head from his neck. Arya cursed as she watched her chance to save Eragon killed by his enraged dragon.

"_Saphira what have you done!"_

"_He was never going to talk! We need to discover it another way."_

Looking about she saw that all the elves had surrounded them. Suddenly her mother pushed through, worry covering her face.

"What happened?"

Arya looked to Eragon's still form and her mother's gaze followed.

"Is he . . "

"No. But I can't heal him. I-" Something in the distance caught her attention and her blood ran cold as ice. And then it burned like fire and she exploded, starting at a sprint. "Durza!"

A vicious laugh, one she'd heard only once before, came cruelly from the Shade's mouth.

"Aww, Princ- no, it's Queen now, another love lost. How much pain you must feel. Tell me, why did you not just let my puppet slaughter you as well?"

With he vanished. She slowed when she reached where he'd been standing.

_No._

**Thank you to everyone who left reviews! It's seriously the reason I keep writing.**

**Avatarlover: **;D And I think I'll have him train with them but idk. He doesn't have Brisingr yet. Thanks!

**My Generation: **Lol I think it's only natural for them to want to at that point but I guess you're right about them being slightly hormonal lmao. About how I am, you got it basically right. I'm not always quiet though. I can be the most obnoxious person in the room if I'm hanging out with my friends. Other than that, almost spot on. I think if I had to compare myself to a character though I'd be Arya because as for emotional personality I'm like her. Very untrusting with lots of walls :P lol.

**Poseidon's Son: **Galbatorix is just from a different land. He's coming to Eragon's. Things are going to be pretty different in that aspect. Yes they will be. And no because I don't have it :/ It was deleted from my account and computer.

**Iryan Drottingu: **Lol it'll happen.


	20. Chapter 20

**So yeah. . . . my sincerest apologies for how long this took to update. . . . While there was really no way to update sooner (unless I like, didn't sleep or hang out with friends), I'm still very sorry. I will try and do much better. And don't feel bad about reviewing to kick my ass into gear and put up another chapter.**

Anger continued to course through her as they traveled at a breakneck speed. Saphira's wings pumped furiously although she'd barely rested in the past days. They had been going non-stop since the incident and Eragon was lying limply in her arms. His body was shaking and sweating but he kept mumbling that he was cold. She tightened her grip and pulled him closer to her body. The healers had poured their energy into her and she used it to keep him from getting worse.

It took three more days to arrive at the edge of the forest of her home and several hours to reach the barrier. Saphira landed just beside it and several elves who had tracked them since the edge of the forest exited out of the trees. They had been contacted by her mother and so they were prepared to help. They walked with the dragon as she entered the barrier and more and more elves appeared, watching from the trees. Arya was exhausted. Even the magic that had been given to her was depleted and she felt her limbs tire. The elves around her saw this and without question or word she felt their power enter her and even into Saphira.

With renewed strength, Saphira took off again and Arya told her how to reach their destination. Their last hope of saving Eragon. The gold of Glaedr's scales was shining brilliantly in the sunlight and Saphira landed just next to him. Arya had explained the existence of this dragon and his rider on the way and so she only noticed a small surprise factor from Saphira at the gold dragon's size.

Standing by a small cottage was the rider himself. His silver hand hung loosely and waved in the slight breeze. Arya shifted Eragon into her arms and slid carefully down Saphira's leg to the ground. She laid him in the grass and Oromis knelt over him, studying the wound. When relief crossed his face, Arya relaxed slightly although not much.

"He's going to be alright?"

Oromis nodded, standing.

"If I treat him soon enough. This is old poison. Used by past assassins to kill kings. It is just a type of root that is magic resistant. If you boil it and prepare it correctly, it becomes deadly. It was made to confuse healers into trying to find a magical cure while there wasn't one. The cure is medicine. Hold on for a moment."

He stood and walked into his small hut. After several seconds he returned holding a bottle of a dirty yellow liquid. She frowned.

"You just had that?"

Oromis opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid onto a cloth he held in his other hand.

"It's old but it should do the trick. Yeah I kept it as a keepsake. Nobody's used this poison for years because it became so commonplace that it was useless. I assume that Galbatorix learned of it and figured nobody would remember."

Arya watched as Oromis pressed the cloth to the wound. Eragon's eyes shot open and he groaned in pain. He tried to pull away but Oromis motioned for Arya to detain him. She gripped his arms and held him in place.

"Eragon, relax."

He mumbled and still tried to shift. Oromis spoke words in the ancient language and Eragon's movement halted. His groaning didn't. She let his arms go and cupped his face in her hands, turning it towards her.

"Hey. Eragon, look at me."

His soft brown eyes looked at her through a mask of pain. When they met her own that pain seemed to dissipate. She studied the flecks of gold that made his eyes so unique while brushing her thumb across his jaw soothingly. After several minutes Oromis stood. She looked down to see the wound wrapped in cloth and tied in place. Arya helped Eragon to stand although he winced several times. The moment he was up Saphira's face was in front of his own. He gave a weak smile and rested his forehead on her snout. When he lifted his head, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

"I've died, haven't I?"

Arya took his hand and smiled slightly as Eragon stared at Glaedr.

"No, Eragon."

He just continued to stare.

"But. . . how? What. . . .I. . . .what?"

The confusion on his face was easy to see. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Let's go inside."

He nodded but failed to move. She stepped in front of him to sever his trance and he finally trailed her and Oromis into the hut. Eragon now began to gape at the rider. Once inside, Oromis motioned for Eragon to lay down. But something had shifted in the riders eyes. And in his grip. Slowly his hand slipped from hers and he backed away, eyes becoming more and more clear. . . and angry. She sighed.

"Eragon, just let us explain."

He looked betrayed and it bothered her more than she let on. His chest raised and settled quickly, body tensing, fists clinching. His eyes bored into her.

"All this time?"

"Eragon wait-"

"All this time and you don't say a word?"

Arya tried to grip his arm but he jerked away, causing him to almost stumble at the pain from the wound on his abdomen. She wanted to catch him and help him but she knew in his state of mind he wouldn't allow it.

"Listen to her, Eragon."

Eragon glared at Oromis and scoffed.

"Because I would blindly follow your command? You coward! Hiding away with your dragon while we fought each other and Galbatorix slowly invaded our land!"

A roar was hear outside the cabin from Glaedr at his rider being insulted but Oromis barely reacted at all. Arya captured his attention.

"Show a little respect for him, Eragon."

She expected his rage as well but instead his eyes became incredibly pained as they looked at her.

"I was. . .alone. So alone. You knew this. You knew and yet you remained silent?"

Her heart broke at his words.

"I made a promise, Eragon."

"Yes. To me. And you lied."

With that he pushed past them both and went outside. She made to follow but Oromis laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Let him cool off. You should return to your home and rest. Eragon will come to you eventually."

She looked at the door he'd just left through.

"Maybe."

"He couldn't even yell at you, Arya. He will find you for an explanation soon.

She shook her head and then bowed respectfully to the rider before exiting the cottage. Glaedr was the only one remaining in the field. Instead of going to rest, Arya went to catch her mother up on what had happened.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

He moved rapidly towards Saphira, his wound causing him severe pain. Her worry was apparent through their connection and he felt remorse for causing her worry. He was being selfish. With great effort he scaled up her leg and settled between her shoulders.

"_There is a reason she kept it from you, Eragon."_

He clenched his jaw.

"_I don't want to talk about it. Let's just fly."_

"_If you wish."_

She remained silent as she vaulted off the ground and her wings pounded the air. Eragon looked down at the massive, brilliant creature below them. But looking at him was also a reminder of the fact that he'd been kept in the dark for weeks. Saphira flew away from the dragon and into the distance towards the continuous line of trees and beautiful scenery. He forced his mind to clear completely and focus on it. It was truly beautiful. The trees here were just a bit greener and the flowers that grew were so exotic that he assumed they'd been grown by the elves.

Time passed quickly as the wind buffeted his face and cut through his hair making it look haphazard and wild. They landed after a bit because Saphira was still exhausted from her mad flight to Ellesmera. For the next two hours she rested while he sat with his back against the bark of a huge tree. After a while Saphira spoke to him again.

"_Are you calm enough to talk?"_

He sighed, closing his eyes and dropping his head back.

"_Yes."_

"_I would like to explain to you what Arya told me. She truly felt awful for not being able to tell you but she made a promise."_

"_I'm her husband."_

"_Eragon. Even though that's true, it was arranged. You didn't decide this and so both of you are new to it. She isn't prepared to give you everything."_

"_I know. But she should've told me."_

"_She couldn't."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because she swore in the ancient language, Eragon. Her magic bound her to keep her secret." _He rested his head on his knees and didn't respond. _"You should go speak to her."_

Yet he remained still and silent for another 30 minutes before Saphira nudged his arm with her snout. He stood, rolling his eyes.

"I'm going, I'm going."

They started to walk through the forest and it wasn't until then that he noticed the elves that were watching from the shade. He nodded politely to them as he passed. It was then that he realized he had no clue where he was going. He didn't want to ask anyone because it was his fault that he'd gotten lost.

"_Do you know where we are, Saphira?"_

"_Not at all."_

He accepted the fact that he was going to have to ask when a young elf walked in front of him. He seemed a child but his amber eyes held wisdom as he watched Saphira.

"I was sent by Queen Islanzadi to find you and help you find your way to wherever you needed."

Relief filled him.

"I'd like to return to Arya."

The boy nodded and started walking. Eragon assumed he should follow and they were led through the gorgeous trees that held so much but hid most in mystery. The dirt below his feet was soft and so there wasn't any jolting in his side. Still, he had a feeling his bandage was being soaked through but he didn't feel like stopping to fix it. The boy led them through the vines and incredibly beautiful flowers that Eragon wished he had time to stay and study them. But he wanted to get to Arya. He wanted to see her. It was strange to him that even this small time they'd been apart was uncomfortable to him.

They finally arrived and the boy left them to themselves. Saphira settled in the grass.

"_I'll rest here."_

He looked at her, worried. She'd flown for so many days and been through the fear and panic of almost losing her rider.

"_Are you alright?"_

"_I'll be fine. Go see her, Eragon."_

"_Sleep well."_

He settled a hand on her head for a moment before turning to the entrance and pushing through the door. Stairs led up through the house in a twisted, yet beautiful, way. He ran his hand along the wood as he went up slowly, his wound paining him slightly. When he reached the top and saw her, the knot in his chest loosened and dispersed. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed with her back to the wall and her eyes closed. Her face was relaxed and he wanted to kiss the flawless satin skin.

He looked away just as she opened her eyes.

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She looked at him as he walked toward her, waiting. But his eyes wouldn't meet her own, instead he just lay down and turned away from her. Arya sighed.

"Eragon you need to speak with me."

He was silent for several moments before turning and looking up at her.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

"I know. Saphira explained to me why it was necessary to keep them a secret."

His fingers grazed her leg and he settled his hand on her knee, just seeming to need contact. She rested her hand over his and continued to watch him. His eyes still hadn't met her own.

"Eragon. . ."

He looked at her then, his emotions written plainly out in his gaze. There was still pain but understanding had taken over mostly. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing slightly.

"It's ok, Arya. Sorry I ran out earlier."

She maneuvered so that she was closer and pulled him into her, careful not to hurt his injury. He went easily, resting his head on between her shoulder and neck. She ran her hand through his hair, smoothing it from it's windblown state and then rested her chin on his head.

"There's nothing to apologize for." She looked down at his shirt and noticed a splotch of red. "Eragon, you're bleeding through the bandage."

"Yeah I know."

"Lay down."

He shook his head against her shoulder.

"I'm fine."

She pushed him gently away from her and he sighed before dropping back against the pillow. Carefully she lifted the hem of his shirt up and started to unravel the bandage. Once she removed it she spoke in the ancient language and cleansed the blood from it. Looking at his wound she cringed slightly. He smirked and glanced at it as well.

"It's not that bad."

She frowned and started to rewrap the injury. He had to lift his back each time she wrapped it around him. As soon as she was finished he wrapped his arm around her and pulled. Chuckling, she lay next to him and relaxed into his side, resting her head against his chest.

"Were you able to look around Ellesmera?"

"Some. It's incredible."

"Tomorrow I'll show you it all."

His fingers trailed slowly and comfortingly down her arm, stopping at her hand and entangling his fingers in hers. They lay there in silence for several minutes before she realized he'd fallen asleep. His breathing was steady and his hand lax in her own. She smiled and closed her eyes as well, drifting into her waking dreams in the circle of his arms.

**-C-A-S-S-I-U-S-**

He slowed to a walk after a while because his breath was leaving him. Panting, he looked around. _Damn these elves can move. _He'd been traveling for three days and he hadn't seen a sign of the elves making camp. He'd already had to stop two times. He also knew that he was wasting precious time trying to track them on foot, but he had no money for a horse. As he saw a village in the distance, he made a difficult decision. It was almost nightfall when he arrived and he made sure to keep quiet and stay out of sight. Crickets screeched around and the sound of laughter came from what he assumed was a tavern or inn.

There was nobody out on the cobblestone streets except from maybe a few rats and a beggar who sat on the corner. But he was fast asleep. Keeping to the shadows, Cassius made his way to through the village looking for the stable. When he finally found it he swore. There was a stablehand still working and guarding the horses. For the moment, Cass put that out of his mind and looked to the closest house. He needed supplies. He crept to it silently and checked the door. Relief flooded through him when it opened silently. There was no sound as he crept inside and he hoped against hope that whoever lived in this house was at the tavern.

He was to be disappointed as he turned into a bedroom and saw a huge, burly man asleep in the bed. He winced and moved like a ghost, going to rack that hung on the wall opposite the bed. There hung a bow and a horn that held several arrows. He lifted the bow off it's hook and put the strap of the arrows over his head. Easing his way out of the room, he'd just reached the cupboard when an arm gripped him and a knife went to his throat.

"I don't think so, bastard. You think you could just break in here and steal from me?"

_Yes. _Cass rolled his eyes and threw his elbow back into the man's face, at the same time keep the blade from slicing his neck. As the man stumbled, Cassius turned, pulling his sword and slamming the pommel across his temple. The man dropped with a thud to the wooden floors. Without falter, Cass opened the cupboard and loaded a small amount of the food into a pack that he found lying against a chair. With that, he left the house and headed for the stable.

The stablehand was still inside. Accepting that this might not be a clean getaway, he started towards the building. The man's back was turned to him as he grew closer. Just as the stablehand heard a board creak, Cassius had struck him unconscious. Hooves shuffled against the floor in nervousness and one whinnied. Grabbing a saddle of the gate to one stall, Cass opened it and settled it on the tan Rouncey inside. He strapped it down and then put on the harness, sliding the bit into its mouth. He strapped the pack to the horses side and adjusted the foot holds before climbing up. Edging his way out the the stall, Cassius urged the horse into the night and back onto the elves' trail. As he rode away he hoped that he hadn't just made somebody's life a lot harder.

**Microbat98: **I'm glad I was able to surprise you :D Yes but my brother told me about the ending and I refused to watch it. And no, I'm not the crying type.

**Tamerlain85: **Lol no

**renessaincbooklover108: **:D

**Moondapple18: **Lol this review made me chuckle more than a bit XD

**Mark Silverwing: **I get the ideas and drive to write from myself, but reviews are the reason that I continue on a certain story. Like, I would probably still keep on writing it but I wouldn't put it on FanFiction. Lol just going with the canon for Eragon getting hurt.

**poseidon's son: **Thanks and yes :)

**Guest: **Yes but I didn't say he would catch them, I said he would follow them.

**My Generation: **What part didn't you get? I can probably explain it. Tristan was a guy he fought with earlier and then the guy who was partnered with Eragon for the mission. Ouch, how'd that happen? Yeah I know they're short but I am seriously time constricted at the moment. Like, it took me seriously FOREVER to get this chapter up.

**DamnHigh: **Thank you! :)

**EmlynMara: **Lol yeah but I'm just trying to stay with how the characters act in the book.

**Descomanyt: **Thank you so much that's a confidence booster haha. I'll try and focus on them more and no, I haven't played it because a friend of mine told me about some stuff that was in it that I don't necessarily want to see. I would still get it anyway but not with all my young siblings in my house.

**DomesticHouseCat: **Yes! Hey I'm glad you're back! She didn't wear armor in Inheritance. Did she? I thought it was stupid too but I thought people would be mad if I changed that part considering it was a big thing in the book. I could've sworn she didn't in the books either. I totally agree about the book thing. They do it in video games as well. I looked up medieval names and picked the ones I thought were cool lol. What games? She's not saying what she feels because she can't admit it to herself yet. Like, she doesn't know if she loves him. Even if she did, it's Arya, so I feel like her stubbornness wouldn't allow her to. This I a marriage of alliance so they aren't marrying out of love. But here, they aren't necessarily IN love yet. Oh they'll have their fights, trust me lol. What part of the dream didn't you understand? I'll explain. I'm glad you liked this chapter so much XD haha. Yes, we'll see a lot more of Durza. Btw, I'll be able to review your story very soon.

**BlossomHunt: **Sorry it took so long to update! But it's totally fine to remind me if you ever feel it's taking too long (which this chapter definitely did).


	21. Chapter 21

**IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ**

**Ok, so I don't want people to get their hopes up but there is a chance I might be re-uploading all of FtP. I found somebody who had every single chapter and I got it back. There is one problem. It's inappropriate, especially later, and I'd have to rewrite a lot of what happens so that I wouldn't get in trouble. I re-read the story and also realized that it wasn't. . . well, idk I didn't think it was as good as it could've been. It lacked substance and plot which I'd done on purpose but now I think I'd want to give it more of one if I put it up. I'm going to put up a poll on my Profile asking if you'd all rather have a new plot or just have me rewrite the old one without the lemons and the language. Just keep in mind, it doesn't mean I'm definitely doing it but there is a high possibility that I will depending on what you all say. **

It was an interesting sensation, waking up with his arm wrapped tightly around her. She arched her back slightly, just enough to stretch out her muscles, before trying to remove herself. Immediately his grip tightened and he pulled her on top of him, sliding his free arm around her as well.

"Nice try."

Her back was against his chest which made it impossible for her to turn and see him.

She couldn't help but smile. His voice was rough from sleep and it reverberated through her. She had to force herself to relax and ignore the heat rising in her body. He pressed his lips just below her ear and her reaction was involuntary as a shiver went through her. He grinned against her neck, knowing that he had control at this moment. His mouth continued down her neck to her collarbone where he ran his tongue casually along it. Her eyes closed slightly in bliss but her mind kept it's clarity. Placing her hand on Eragon's, she lifted them from her body with ease, despite his resistance.

Rolling to the side she sat up and looked at him. Immediately she chuckled. His face was in a sad pout and it was obnoxious yet incredibly endearing. Eragon tangled their fingers together and watched her until she gave in with a small smile. Leaning down, she kissed him softly, her palm resting on his neck and her other keeping her up with his hand still under it. His free hand settled on her waist and tugged her closer.

After a moment she pulled back slightly and looked at him. Her hair fell in his face and he laughed, the sound filling her with joy. She pushed it away and her mouth turned up at the corners. She remembered his wound then and shifted her weight.

"Did the bandage hold?"

Eragon shrugged.

"I think."

Carefully moving off of him, she stood, her bare feet landing on the cool wood of the floor. Looking outside, she saw it was a darker day. Rain was slowly falling and soaking the ground and plants. In truth, these days were her favorite. Daylight held so many lies. It gave people false hope before the darkness took it away. To her, it was just a cover. But night was a trickster. Making people believe that hope was completely gone. These kinds of days though. . . the clouds covered the sun and the rain cooled the ground making a contradiction of the two stark opposites.

She looked to Eragon just as he stood with a wince, holding his abdomen and breathing deeply. Walking over, Arya lifted the hem of the fabric and looked. The bandage was still in place but the wound needed to be addressed and cleaned.

"Come with me."

Leading the way down the steps, Arya kept her pace slow. Reaching the bottom, she turned right and they passed a still sleeping Saphira. She watched as Eragon settled his hand on the dragon's beautiful blue wing for a moment before dropping it and continuing on. The grass under her toes was cold and wet but it felt incredible as water ran along the side of her feet. Rain continued to land on their skin and it was soothing and calming to her. She noticed that Eragon didn't seem to mind it either. They'd only walked for a couple minutes before Eragon slipped his hand into hers. Before this day, she would've pulled back but now his fingers felt comforting in her own. Still, it frightened her slightly to be so. . . open.

Birds sung and flew around them and the rustling of the trees and bushes let them know that there were hundreds of animals hidden about. There was a light breeze carrying the smell of nature through the air and she smiled. She was home. Glancing at Eragon, she saw he had closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the grey sky, trusting her to lead him. Accepting that, she tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him towards the rushing water that she could already hear. He didn't notice it for another few minutes. When they got close, his eyes opened and he looked around, taking in the fact that they'd entered a very dense areas of the forest.

"Where are we?"

"A small river some distance away from most of the homes here."

He nodded and looked about at the wild plants that she guessed he'd never seen before. Brilliant orange and bright blue flowers were spread across the ground. With them were hundreds of other unique flowers that captured his attention. He leaned over, grimacing, and ran his forefinger and thumb across a petal. She waited for the reaction she knew was coming and chuckled when it did. He yelped and jerked his hand back while Arya knelt down beside the plant he'd just touched. With care, she avoided the petals and spoke the ancient language, pulling the plant out along with its roots. Eragon watched as he shook his throbbing hand.

"What kind of plant is that?"

She lifted it to eyesight, the blood red-brown of the stem and the dark purple of the petals glimmered. She could see the blue and the light green veins. Holding it out to Eragon, she waited for him to take it. He seemed hesitant before his hands covered hers and she slid her hands out. He held it out from his body and looked suspiciously at it. Arya spoke a spell again and the petal of the plant lifted, showing Eragon the underside. His eyebrows rose at the little furs he saw. But they weren't actually furs. It was razor-sharp and wiry. She released the spell.

"It's their defense. That could literally tear off your flesh."

Eragon looked at his thumb.

"I think it did."

She turned his hand and looked at it, shaking her head.

"No. That was a warning."

"A warning?"

"Yes, it wasn't fully defensive until you touched it. Come with me."

Taking him to the river, she unwrapped the bandage around his waist and motioned for him to sit. He made a face.

"It's wet."

Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand to him.

"And you're a baby. Sit in the grass."

He grabbed her hand and she helped him sit with as little pain as possible. She crouched next to him and pushed his shoulder back until he was laying down. Arya soaked the cloth bandage in the water and then brought it out, pressing it to the wound. Today it was bruised and swollen but that was normal for an injury such as this. It was in the process of healing. He cringed as the cold water soaked his skin. Pulling out a bag full of herbs that Oromis had given her, she took out a pinch and sprinkled it across the wound. Eragon's entire body tensed and his eyes closed tightly.

Taking the bandage, she squeezed the water into the wound and it mixed with the herbs, causing what seemed like more pain until finally he relaxed. She dried the bandage and wrapped it around him again, sealing in the medicine.

"You alright?"

He nodded, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Better now."

Helping him into a sitting position, she sat beside him and let her feet fall into the water. He followed suit, any grass or dirt on his feet rolling away into the river. She closed her eyes and listened to the lives of the creatures around her. They sat there in silence for a long while, a relaxing feeling going through their bodies. During that time, Arya let herself lean back and rest on the ground. This wasn't like her. To be so. . . free, but Eragon brought it out of her without even trying.

It was a scary feeling, having your emotions shifted so easily by a single person. Still, she wasn't going to complain. Tonight was the celebration for their wedding and while it would be uncomfortable for her in front of so many who'd watched her grow up, she felt like it'd be fine as long was he was next to her. It didn't stop the part of her mind from urging her to pull away as quickly as she could. The rest of the morning, she led him through the area, showing him everything that was important to see or just beautiful to the point that he couldn't miss it. His open wonder causing her to smile more that day than she had in a very long time.

**-C-A-S-S-I-U-S-**

He'd ridden for two days straight and he feared how much longer it would take to arrive at the elven forests. From what he could decipher from their first campsite, something had caused them to pack with haste and head off. He was just passing the site when something caught his eye. Reigning in his horse, he dismounted and walked to what had grabbed his attention. What he found made his veins run cold. There was no mistaking the blood that had stained the grass.

He looked around him and found the holes that had been made from stakes holding a tent down. Cursing, he turned and looked about. _Orrin was right. . . . this was all a ploy to get Eragon away and assassinate him. _He continued to walk about and study the ground. There were two separate pools of dried blood and he brushed his hand through his hair in despair. For some reason he knew that one of them was Eragon's. The other. . . . Cassius hoped it belonged to an elf Eragon felled before he died.

A sudden thought hit him and hope resurfaced. _Saphira. . . ._ _she would never have allowed his death and neither of these stains on the ground are large enough to be a dragons. . . .maybe. _But sadness filled him. All those elves could've easily subdued the dragon. _They probably kept her for their own use._ He swore violently and grabbed his head which had begun to pound. _Arya had played Eragon and gotten him to fall for her. She'd fooled them all._ Debating what to do next, he mounted the horse and drove his heels into the horses sides. It whinnied, lurching into a sprint. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he realized his subconscious had already made the decision for him.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

Waking with her against him was a wonderful feeling. She was so perfect. He studied her face that was resting on his chest and shoulder. The pale skin had no flaw and her dark, soft, blue-black hair contrasted it in an interesting way. Her eyelashes were long and curled which only made her eyes brighter when they were open. He closed his eyes, her scent enveloping him and filling all of his senses. Moments later, he felt her shift. She arched against him, stretching, and his heartbeat stopped and skipped several beats and he reacted without thinking as she began to pull away, snaking his other arm around her and holding her in place. After having done it, he was nervous at her reaction but he played the confident card.

"Nice try."

From this angle he couldn't see her but he felt her body relax into his and he took that as a good sign. Taking advantage before she regained the walls that kept her from opening to everyone, he kissed her just below her ear. The reaction he got surprised him and enlightened him to the fact that he had some control in this relationship. As much as she tried to avoid it, she was swayed by him.

Still, as soon as he started she stopped him, sitting up and removing herself from his embrace. Not willing to let go so easily, he gave her a look that had gotten him out of many a class as a child. Now he wanted to sway the verdict in his favor again. The amusement on her face and in her voice made him think it might be working. It was. She leaned down, kissing him lightly and letting her fingers run along his jaw before settling on his neck.

As she leaned away, her hair brushed along his jaw. He reacted quickly, being very ticklish with no power to hide it. She smirked and he wanted to kiss her again but she seemed to remember something. He wanted to groan when she brought up his wound. Now it was basically over. She was pulling away again.

"Did the bandage hold?"

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

"I think."

She stood and he watched her long legs and slim body move towards the window. She stood there for a while as if contemplating something before turning to him and having him follow her. They walked out and the rain landed on his flesh, seeming to slide like silk down his skin. As he passed Saphira she stirred.

"_Little one. . ."_

He rested his hand on her wing.

"_Rest Saphira. You need it."_

She agreed quietly and her consciousness receded until her mind went dormant and she returned to sleep. He looked to find Arya watching and walked to catch up with her. As they continued, he took another chance, sliding his hand into hers. She took it easily, linking their fingers. She kept surprising him, causing him to rethink what he believed earlier. Maybe she was seeing that he was trustworthy; that she could let him in.

She'd showed him around the entire day until the sun began to set. It was then that she led him back to the house they were staying in.

"We need to change into something more regal. The celebration for our wedding is in less than an hour."

He walked into a room that was adjacent to the bedroom and found that the clothes he'd brought had been folded on shelves in the room. He grabbed the blue trousers but a hand snatched them from his fingers. Arya set them back down.

"My mother has something different in mind for tonight. She'd rather you wear elven garb. Here."

He looked to find a silver robe in her hands. He raised his eyebrows, taking the silky, soft fabric in his fingers. It rolled down, showing a full length tunic that had the look of armor but was made completely from cloth. Smirking, he set it down and pulled off his shirt. Arya's cheeks flushed slightly and she looked down. He chuckled and dropped the shirt, walking forward and spanning her waist with his hands. Her breath hitched.

"We don't have much time Eragon."

He nodded, tilting his head and looking down at her. She met his eyes after a moment and they were passive. He sighed, stepping back. There she was again back to her old self. It must of been a one day reprieve. She gave an apologetic smile and turned, leaving the room. He grabbed the elven tunic and slid it over his head, letting the smoothness of the clothing slide across his skin. Looking in a mirror that was set up across the room he smiled. It looked impressive. Elves were slim and this, although made to fit him, had an interesting affect. It make him seem much more bulked up than he really was. He grinned and straightened the V that went down to just below his chest.

He put on a pair of black leggings and then walked into the bedroom just as Arya pulled up her dress. But not before he saw more of her than he ever had. He felt like he'd just had the wind knocked out of him and he stared openmouthed as she turned around. Arya rolled her eyes and looked in the mirror as she pulled her hair back, leaving her bangs to form around her face.

She faced him them and he caught the full force of her image. Her dress was silver as well, showing off every, single curve and her eyes glimmered brightly like the fabric. He sucked in a breath and coughed awkwardly.

"Wow."

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"Calm down, Eragon."

He rolled his shoulders and shook his arms out. She smiled and went to walk by him but he caught her arm. She tensed.

"No time." He nodded but pulled her towards him. "Eragon. . ." She didn't try and stop him though. His hands trailed down her arms along her soft skin and then back up. Her breathing seemed somewhat off as he tilted her chin up and made her look at him.

"We have a little time."

She shook her head in disagreement but leaned in all the same. He kissed her, lips slightly parted. A rush surged through him as their mouths moved together. She let her fingers slide into his hair while he kept his hand on her jaw and the other on her waist. He deepened the kiss, tightening his grip and letting himself get lost. She let go as well, allowing her instincts to control her. She slid her tongue along his lips, pushing past and searching his mouth. He responded in kind when somebody cleared their throat. He froze and she pulled back quickly, looking toward the door.

"Mother."

Eragon cringed before he turned to her and bowed respectfully. Islanzadi looked at her daughter a moment longer before handing them the crowns that they'd worn when the were married. He took his and set it carefully on his head as Arya did the same. Her mother stepped aside, motioning towards the stairs.

"They are waiting."

Nodding, both awkwardly walked past her and down the steps. They stepped outside only to stop. Elves were lined on either side of a path that led into the distance. Each was holding their hands in front of them. As Arya and Eragon began to walk forward, silver orbs of light appeared in the hands of the elves as they passed them. Eragon watched curiously as Arya led the way towards an unknown destination.

The elves faces were a mix of smiles, passive looks, and somewhat disapproving faces. He ignored those of the last and smiled politely. They finally arrived in a clearing and he saw hundreds of elves surrounding it. Saphira, who'd gone hunting as soon as she woke, returned within distance and questioned him. Telling her where he was, he stood in the center and waited with Arya. Islanzadi arrived just as Saphira did and his dragon perched on a large log that had been crafted and placed just for her. The queen stepped in front of them, looking directly at Eragon.

"We would like to bestow a gift on you, King Eragon. You have brought the kingdoms together and you have proved worthy to be granted access to our home. You have earned my daughter's trust, and through her, you are beginning to earn mine." He didn't know how true that was. Arya didn't trust him yet. Not fully. Islanzadi continued. "The gift we'd like to impart on you is unknown even to us. You will receive whatever is willed. Because of the mystery behind this, you have the right to decline. It will in no way effect how you are seen among the elves if you choose to do so." He also doubted that very much. Two elves covered in dark robes, hoods hiding their faces, stepped behind Islanzadi and he saw Arya tense noticeably. Worry coursed through him but he kept his cool. He stood tall.

"May I ask what might happen?"

The queen nodded.

"Your abilities may change. You may become stronger, smarter, curious, powerful. An array of possibilities await. There is a chance that this will change your entire view on the world or how you understand things. Everything is possible."

He took a deep breath. If it changed who he was a person . . . that would be like an act of war to his people if it made him weaker or incapable of leading. But on the other hand, if he refused this gift, the elves would see him as a coward. He could also gain something that could help defeat Galbatorix. He would be a fool to do so.

"_Saphira?"_

"_I think that the only real option is to accept, Eragon."_

"_I know. But what if I'm not who I once was?"_

"_It's a chance you must take. To deny their gift would be an insult despite what they say."_

He made up his mind.

"I accept."

A cheer went up and music, unlike any he'd heard, began to ring out across the clearing. It was beautiful and new, causing his mind to whirl. Arya gripped his arm as he staggered slightly. Before him, the two cloaked figures removed their hoods. He had to keep himself from reacting. Their faces were covered with tattoos and it went down their neck. He saw that it continued further as they removed their robes. The cloaks dropped to the ground and they were completely bare. He dropped his eyes, not wanting to be rude, but Arya's hand raised and lifted his head.

"Watch, Eragon."

He looked up to find that the women had begun to move in perfect synch. Their bodies were covered with the never stopping tattoos and it slowly began to take form. It was a dragon. A beautiful dragon. They continued to dance and he continued to lose his mental faculties to the music and spells happening around him. Suddenly, his vision was gone. He began raise his hands to rub his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. What he found was that he couldn't move his arms. He heard Saphira call to him before she was shut out by the noise around him. With that, he felt his body lose control and he went limp. Slender arms wrapped around him before he hit the ground.

**poseidon's son:** :) and yeah. Basically they met, figured out they were going to be married, were attacked, Eragon snuck into the camp with bunches of others, he came out with Cassius and his brother, he and Arya got married, they went to Ellesmera, Cravahall was taken over, Cassius is trying to reach the elves, Eragon was stabbed. . . . Yeah so super crap summary but it would've been way too long otherwise.

**Elrond Half-Elven Bjartskular:** I will try to speed it up but I'm also going to try to keep it like it would've happened in the books.

**Dracones:** Yeah I meant to fix that but then I forgot and I was like, oh crap. Oromis sounds super non-elfish.

**Vizual-Era:** I promise I wont ever abandon a story :)

**BlossomHunt:** It's all good haha.

**Iryan Drottingu:** Lol I'll try! I am a ghost so nobody can find me! And for now I prob can't do it on a schedule because half the time idk what's happening. During summer I should get back on track though.

**My Generation:** Because she swore but under dire circumstances she can spill. Did I not put that in? Crap. Mea Culpa. Ummmmmm, like once every two or so weeks. . . I think. .

**S.M wane:** Thanks!

**Hey guys thank you all sooooo much for saying how much you like the story. It's an awesome confidence booster haha. 28 or so Reviews! That was crazy awesome to recieve! :) And don't forget to vote on the FtP poll. It will be closed in two weeks but I'll be putting up the first chapter of FtP just so you can read and decide what you want.  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**-A-R-Y-A-**

She'd feared it would come to this. It was a very rare gift, and to her mother, it would be the highest honor she could possibly bestow on Eragon. But it could change everything. All that he believed, all that he could do, all that he could attain. . . . She shook her head as they waited for him to make the decision. Part of her wished he would refuse. She knew she cared for him and she knew that losing him would all but destroy her. It wouldn't matter if he was still there if his entire being was changed.

She took a long breath in when he accepted, watching as the ceremony began. This was it. The spells being chanted began to work their magic, his mind shutting down and allowing the two elves full access to his core, to his magic. She watched, waiting with bated breath and as he began to fall to the ground, so did the rain. She caught him and laid him gently out on the grass before backing away and watching beside her mother. Before her, his appearance began to change. First, his bone structure started to shift. His eyebrows turned at sharper slants and his cheekbones became more pronounced.

Everything became angled and symmetrical. His ears formed into points. And then it was finished. At least the external part. His body seemed only slightly different, still keeping its muscled tone and power. She knelt beside him and checked his heart. It was beating calmly, as if nothing had happened at all. Islanzadi called for an elf to carry him back to their quarters and one rushed forward, lifting him carefully from the ground and heading off. She looked to her mother.

"His people will not take too kindly to this."

Islanzadi sighed, a small amount of apprehension in her eyes before she cleared it.

"I know. I just hope that this is all it did. If so, I assume he will talk them into accepting his new form."

"Hopefully." She started after Eragon. "I should be there when he wakes."

Her mother nodded and turned to speak to a noble who'd approached. Taking her leave, Arya walked quickly back to find that the elf carrying Eragon was just entering the house. She caught up to him.

"I'll take him."

The elf turned and then looked towards the stairs.

"Are you sure, Queen Arya? I am capable."

She nodded, sliding her arms around Eragon's body and taking his weight. The elf bowed his respect and disappeared out the door. Eragon's skin was soft and unblemished and made her wonder if his wound had been healed completely. His head was leaning back over her arm and she shifted, letting it tuck right on her shoulder. His breath hit her neck and she wished she'd left his head alone as her body reacted. She made it to the top stair and walked to the bed, setting him down. A mind pressed against hers and she checked before letting them in.

"_Is that all that has happened to him? Do you think anything else will have changed?"_

"_We wont know until he awakens."_

"_Are you fine with this change, Arya?"_

Arya let a finger slide softly down his face.

"_I don't know, truthfully. I liked him before. He hasn't changed much but. . . . he is still different."_

Saphira seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"_But it wont change what you feel, correct?"_

Arya responded quickly.

"_Of course not, Saphira. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I could stop feeling. . . for him."_

This changed the tone of the conversation as the dragon became curious.

"_And what is it that you feel?"_

Arya's cheeks flushed and she sat down next to Eragon's legs.

"_I don't know."_

A chuckle reached her mind.

"_I think that's what you tell yourself."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?"_

Saphira started to pull away, her consciousness leaving. Before she was gone completely she spoke to Arya once more.

"_You know."_

She looked over at Eragon again and a smile reached her lips. He was still beautiful. Just. . . different. She lay next to him and closed her eyes letting sleep take her.

Less than an hour later she woke from a crippling pain at her wrist. Shooting awake, she looked to find Eragon's hand wrapped tightly around it.

**-E-R-A-G-O-N-**

"_Eragon what happened to you?! _

_He leaned against the doorframe as a young woman, very beautiful, ran to him. She looked worried and picked him up off of the ground. _

"_Murtagh saved me and then somebody grabbed him."_

_Horror was etched out on the her face and she looked over to somebody who was obviously standing there watching. Eragon could only stare at the tears that started to fall down the lady's face._

"_He found him. He took my boy!"_

_The man walked forward and took Eragon from the woman's arms. For some reason the man's face was clouded in shadow so he could not be seen._

"_Selena we will find him! I promise you this!"_

_Little Eragon reached a hand out and grabbed the lady's wrist. _

"_Mommy?"_

_A voice called to him. "Eragon. Eragon! _Wake up!"

He jolted and his eyes opened wide. Beside him, Arya looked worried but she was obviously in pain.

"Eragon you need to let go."

He was confused until he saw that his fingers were gripping Arya's wrist which looked like it was bent in an unnatural direction. He released her quickly, breathing heavily and pulling back as she healed herself. He stared openmouthed for a moment and she watched him curiously. Reaching out she took his hand in hers and studied it.

"Try to pull away." He did as she asked and after a moment of resistance he easily tugged it from her grasp. Her eyes widened. "It looks like your appearance wasn't the only thing to change."

He caught exactly what she said and leapt from the bed and dashed for the mirror, arriving quicker than he expected to. He stumbled over a seat and caught himself easily. Looking at his reflection he remembered what Islanzadi said could happen. Thinking quickly he found he was still himself mentally, but physically, he looked part elf.

Eragon fingered the tips of his ears and continued to look at himself. He heard the shuffle of feet and whirled to find Arya just walk into the room. _Strange, before I could't hear her until she was speaking beside me._ She came to join him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Are you ok with this?"

He glanced back in the mirror, taking in his perfect complexion. He was different, that was for sure, but he liked it in a way. He looked graceful and powerful. He smiled and nodded.

"It's different, but I'm still me. Just stronger and quicker. I even heard you walk into the room."

She lifted the hem of his shirt and her eyes widened.

"Look."

He glanced down and realized his wound was gone completely only leaving a very toned abdomen. Arya ran her hand down where he'd been stabbed and while she was just studying the change, his body reacted without his consent. He watched her eyes in the darkness and she glanced at him.

"What?"

He shook his head took her hand in his and linked her fingers with his. This wasn't the time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was hurting you earlier."

She squeezed his hand.

"You didn't know you were even capable of it. I would like to know what caused it though."

He sighed, dropping her hand and walking back towards the bed. It was too confusing to talk about. Even he had no clue what it meant. Was it real? Or was it just his hope that he had a mother that made him dream Selena could be it. Arya joined him as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at her.

"I don't even know if it was real."

"Still. It affected you."

He shrugged.

"Yes."

Sighing, Arya turned his face her direction, making him look in her eyes.

"Eragon."

He stared at her, the green of her irises now easily seen with his enhanced vision. Even in the dark. He leaned his forehead on her shoulder.

"I saw. . . .I saw my mother. And I know my brother's name."

Her tone was comforting and questioning when she spoke next.

"May I see?"

He pushed his mind at hers and she allowed him in. Eragon played out the scenario he'd seen in his dream, sadness filing him. He felt Arya's hand slip into his hair and begin to slide through it softly. Closing his eyes, he waited as the scene played out. As soon as it was over she spoke.

"I can see the resemblance between you two."

"But what if I'm just making this lady up in my head in hopes that I had a mother who cared about me. Or a father. Or even a brother. What if none of this is even real!?"

He was angry now; he was so tired of not knowing.

"Shhh. Hey, look at me Eragon." He did as she asked. "I know this is hard and you have a lot happening to you all at once. But you need to keep your cool. These memories are slowly returning and they are real. You now know your brother and mothers' names. When we return to Carvahall we can search for them."

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're right. There's nothing I can do about it now."

She pushed herself back and lay down, linking their fingers. After a moment he joined her and settled into the covers, his shoulder touching hers. It took almost an hour before he was able to fall asleep again. Well, it wasn't sleep anymore. He now slept as Arya did: with waking dreams.

As he woke the next morning he turned to find Arya still beside him. Deciding to let her rest a bit longer, he slid silently from the bed and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and it shone warmly on his face. Looking down, he gauged wether he could possibly land unscathed. He knew Arya would be capable of it but what if his new abilities weren't quite as strong as hers. He shrugged. _Only one way to find out._ Lifting his foot, he'd accomplished getting one over the edge when two voices rang loudly through his mind and ears.

"Eragon!" He froze and glanced at Arya who'd sat up and was staring at him as if he was stupid. Saphira, who'd spoken in his mind, was watching him from her perch on the house. Arya stood and walked over to him. "What are you doing?"

He looked down, realizing he probably looked mentally incapacitated.

"I uh. . . wanted to test out my new abilities."

Arya's eyebrow raised and Saphira snorted from outside.

"By jumping out a window. . . .?"

He made a face at her and started to put his other leg out when suddenly her hands were gripping the back of his tunic and yanking him back inside. He fell into her but using his new reflexes, he easily pulled from her grasp and rolled out of range. She watched confused until he let a mischievous smile split his face. She smirked.

"You think you can beat me just because you acquired elvish reflexes and strength?"

He stood and circled her.

"I'm thinking so."

She tilted her head in amusement.

"So you, a man who just gained new abilities, against me, an elf whose had them for a century?"

He seemed to question his confidence before deciding to go with it. Saphira sent him her disapproval.

"_She's going to wipe the floor with you."_

"_Thanks for the confidence booster."_

"_I'm only speaking the truth."_

He ignored her and waited for Arya to make the first move. She didn't, instead she just watched him. Becoming impatient, he lunged at her. She sidestepped and grabbed his right arm, twisting it behind his back. Before she could lock him into place he spun and dropped, escaping her grasp. She grinned and stepped back.

"Not bad."

He laughed.

"Not bad? I escaped the clutches of Arya Drottingu! I feel like that is a feat that's never been accomplished!"

She rolled her eyes.

"It isn't that impressive."

He shook his head and went at her again, this time feigning like he was going to tackle her but at the last moment he pulled back, ducking behind and sliding his arms around her. She grabbed his shoulders and threw him over her head, slamming him into the wood. He hit hard, coughing and laughing at the same time. She stood over him, a small smile on her face, before reaching down and helping him up. He sighed and stood, watching her. She shook her head at him.

"I told you, Eragon."

He stuck his tongue out.

"No need to gloat. I can beat you in other ways."

She chuckled, the sound like music to his new and improved ears.

"Oh really? What ways would that be?"

He grabbed both of her hands and slid his own up her arms. Her face went from one of gloating to that of realization and uncertainty. Her voice was slightly shaky when she spoke.

"Eragon. . . ."

He continued, his fingers trailing down her sides until they were spanning her waist. She watched his eyes, trying to figure out what he was planning. He moved his hands slightly lower to her hips and then tugged her closer. He kept his eyes on her own as he leaned in. She closed her eyes, not being able to help it. But as soon as their lips touched, he pressed his thumbs hard into the muscles of her hips. Her eyes shot open in shock and the sound that left her lips melted his entire resolve to tease her. It was an exhale of surprise and pleasure mixed. He crushed her mouth with his own. She seemed to fight it momentarily before giving in as well.

She cupped his face with her hands, her fingers resting gently against his jaw. When he pressed at her hips again, her nails pressed into his face in reaction. He grinned but she dropped her hands onto his and removed them with some effort. He didn't fight it though, knowing that if he pushed this too hard she'd pull away and leave. He let her take control of the situation and that was exactly what she did. They were like that for some time until Saphira growled loudly in his mind.

"_Eragon you should probably stop this."_

"_I know."_

And even though he did, he began to walk Arya backwards toward the bed.

"_Eragon!"_

He pulled back, resting his forehead on her collarbone and breathing heavily. She slid her hand into his hair and held him for a moment, catching her breath as well. She pulled away after a moment and smiled before walking around him and heading down the stairs. He sat down on the bed and leaned back, sighing and calming himself. Saphira chuckled in his mind.

"_You two get so carried away. It's like you're incapable of keeping your hands to yourselves."_

Eragon covered his eyes.

"_Oh shut up Saphira."_

Another laugh and then a mind pressed into their conversation. He recognized Arya and let her in. He mind was mostly shut off but he could feel the humming of something under the surface that made him smirk. Apparently he didn't do so well at hiding his feelings that moment and she noticed immediately. He could almost see her cheeks turning red. He laughed and stood, walking to the window and looking out towards the ground where she was standing.

"Ha! You are blushing!"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Get down here. I want to test your fighting skills with a sword."

"Will do."

Without another thought, he leapt through the window towards the ground. Saphira growled and Arya swore. He landed perfectly and rose from his crouch. The moment he'd done so, Arya slammed his shoulder with her fist.

"Idiot."

He winced before chuckling and taking her hand.

"Come on, you know that I had to."

She shook her head.

"And if you'd died?"

He snorted.

"I wouldn't die from that."

Arya rolled her eyes and walked towards a path that led into the woods.

"You think yourself invincible, don't you? You should be careful where your ego goes or you'll end up dead."

He squeezed her fingers.

"I promise you I wont die."

She stopped and looked at him, her face uncertain and clouded.

"I'd rather you not promise something that you can't guarantee."

He rested his hand on her cheek, softly brushing his thumb along her cheekbone.

"I'm serious Arya. I can't die because I would think of you and that would be all I need. I will stay alive for you. No matter what."

She studied his eyes and then a smile found its way to her face.

"Good."

**-C-A-S-S-I-U-S-**

He had reached the forest an hour back and set up camp. He wasn't ready to enter the unknown just yet. First, he needed a plan. He'd eaten what little food he had left, knowing that hunting would be easy in these rich woods. As soon as he was finished, he packed up and saddled the horse with his gear. He himself stayed on the ground, giving the horse a break. He'd barely stepped foot in the forest when an arrow buried itself in the tree beside his head. He froze, slowly reaching for his weapon.

"I wouldn't do that." The voice that spoke was male. "Drop your weapons on the ground. One wrong move and you're dead."

Cassius did as he was asked.

"Come out where I can see you, elf."

An elf stepped out from the shadows of the trees, his bow raised with an arrow notched and aimed at Cassius' head.

**CaptainBeer:** Because my parents wouldn't allow it. They would take it down again and then everyone would massacre me.

**N-Six:** It's a story from my old account that my mom found and took down cause it was inappropriate lol.

**UltimatumTM:** It's all good, I barely review anything :) And yeah I know I need to be more descriptive. It's like, the thing that I'm least good at when I write. I just want to tell the story and so I don't want to sit and think about how to describe what I'm seeing. I'm trying to work on that though :D

**winter wolf:** Yeah they'll have a hard time at it :P

**GaaraSandNiN:** It was actually my parents that removed it lol. My family is like, super strict and so they found it and my mom flipped. So I shut down my old account and am on this one now. I love when that happens! Like when I find somebody who is like, the same as me! I've only met three people like that who were basically my twin.

**Microbat98:** Lol in the first chapter I only took out one "Shit" and that's it.

**My Generation:** Haha I mean, I think it's a reasonable conclusion to reach if his mind was already set to believe the elves were not trustworthy.

**Mark Silverwing:** You can watch Arrow online and catch up to wear we are in the US. It's a really great show. Doctor Who has been sooooo awesome I'm love Clara.

**Guest:** lol I love Psych so much. Gus is great.


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